chris ullrich Tagged Articles at Cinematical

The Spider-Man films have become one of the most popular and highest-grossing franchises in history, obviously. After three movies, though, some might believe it's time to hang up the spidey-suit and move on to other things. If you disagree and can't imagine life without more Spider-Man movies, you're in luck because according to a recent Hollywood Reporter article, it doesn't appear the franchise is going to go away any time soon. In fact, a meeting between producer Laura Ziskin, Sam Raimi and Sony's top peeps is currently scheduled to take place within the next two weeks.

In the article, which not only discusses future Spider-Man movies, but other monster franchises such as the Harry Potter films and the X-Men series -- which according to the article will stop at X-Men 3 (no script exists for a fourth flick, and there are currently no plans to write one) but will spin-off with Wolverine and Magneto movies -- Spider-Man franchise producer Laura Ziskin reveals that she would like to get everyone back for another Spidey film but that "no one will sign on the dotted line until they see a script." However, don't be too concerned about that script thing causing delays or stopping production on more films because Ziskin also reveals in the article that "There will be more 'Spider-Man' movies. We just haven't answered what shape they will come in and (Sony) hasn't given us a release date."

With at least one, and potentially more, Spider-Man films to come, will we again see Tobey Maguire slinging webs as Peter Parker and Sam Raimi behind the camera calling the shots? On these questions, for the moment, Ziskin is less certain: "Spider-Man will continue; I can't tell you every person who will be involved." With the power of franchises pulling in the big bucks to help keep the studios afloat in these uncertain economic times, there's pretty much no way that a successful franchise like Spider-Man won't keep going and going -- as long as it still makes money for the studio. Until it stops raking in the bucks, you can probably expect to see Spider-Man 4, 5 and 6, at the very least. And even though I wasn't thrilled with Spider-Man 3, as a fan of the franchise and comic book movies in general, I say bring 'em on -- just try to do a little better next time.

In the rush to see big-budget new movies like Transformers or Live Free or Die Hard, which feature the latest visual effects, the biggest stars or more explosions per minute than any other film, we often forget about the great, classic films that helped pave the way for the big-budget movie-going experience we get to enjoy today. Over the years, some great films have come out of Hollywood and the indie world which are regarded as classics of their genres and are still entertaining and influencing audiences and filmmakers around the world.

Some of these great films of the past include a whole bunch of horror classics from Universal, which, according to DVD Drive In, are now on their way to your waiting hands via exclusive box sets of DVDs. Just in time for Halloween, a horror collection which includes such campy classics as Horror Island, Captive Wild Woman (one of my personal favorites) Man-Made Monster starring Lon Chaney Jr. and The Black Cat starring both Boris Karloff and Bella Lugosi, will hit store shelves. A Sci-Fi box set from the studio is also in the works which includes films such as The Deadly Mantis, The Leech Woman, Dr. Cyclops. and Cult of the Cobra starring a young David Janssen.

Not to be left out, MGM is also set to release two classic film DVD box sets of its own in the coming months. The first, featuring the work of the great Vincent Price, collects such Price classics as The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Tales of Terror, Madhouse and Theater of Blood, co-starring the sexy Diana Rigg. The set will also feature bonus material including a documentary about the late actor as well as two making-of shorts. Also coming from MGM is a box set of Roger Corman classics including Bloody Mama, starring Oscar-winners Shelley Winters and Robert De Niro, The Young Racers, The Trip and The Wild Angels. Some great films made for almost no money that remind us what filmmaking is all about: interesting characters and compelling stories told well. Although, it is fun to blow stuff up sometimes too.

If you're one of the people who enjoyed Bryan Singer's version of the Man of Steel story and were anxiously awaiting his next trip to Metropolis for a sequel to Superman Returns, your wait may have gotten a bit longer. According to Rotten Tomatoes, producing partners Neil Meron and Craig Zadan are moving forward with Singer directing their pet project, a biopic of slain gay right activist Harvey Milk called The Mayor of Castro Street, as soon as Singer finishes with his current film -- the WWII story Valkyrie.

According to them, their film could be Singer's next project, no matter what may have been announced previously. So, what about a Superman sequel? "The next Superman, that's a ways off," claimed Meron, with Zadan adding. "Don't worry about it. Trust me." As for Singer, as we previously reported, he has maintained he would direct the sequel to Superman Returns, currently titled Superman: The Man Of Steel, and that it would be his next project after Valkyrie. But he has also been attached to a Logan's Run remake and has apparently also been attached to The Mayor of Castro Street for two years already.

So, with the director being so busy and apparently being pulled in several directions at once, the question has to be asked: is he going to try and do them all? If so, that's a tall order to be sure and something that would undoubtedly take a great deal of time and effort. Although, with Singer possibly off the Logan's Run remake, that does free up some time in his schedule. Maybe he feels he can now squeeze in the smaller Harvey Milk biopic between Valkyrie and a Superman sequel? Whatever he ends up doing, I just hope he remembers to find some time to sleep.

During the holidays, I gave you insight into some essential home theater gifts for the film buff on your list. Then more recently, I took the high road and presented a guide to creating the ultimate home screening room experience. Unfortunately for many of you, the costs associated with both of those projects -- especially in the case of the ultimate screening room -- were far too prohibitive and not something you could, or would, want to afford.

Given that, I went back to the proverbial drawing board and decided to put together a guide to low budget home theater gear you could use to achieve as much of the "big screen" experience as possible, given the constraints of a very limited budget. Putting something like this together for almost no money isn't as easy as it might seem. Getting good quality gear can be expensive and even something decent still isn't always what some would consider "cheap."

With that in mind, I decided to challenge myself to put together a home screening room I could enjoy, but with a very limited budget of only $1500.00 -- the approximate amount of my last tax refund. Sticking to this budget meant, of course, a lot of research, bargain hunting and in some cases, haggling. But in the end, I found the following items that will do your movies at home justice. And even if you don't get the "ultimate" home theater experience in your custom screening room, you can still have a good time watching some great movies in your living room while not spending a ton of money.

So, with our budget in mind, let's get to it ...

As much as I might not be a huge fan of the multitude of film festivals and awards shows where awards are seemingly given away for almost anything these days, some festivals do provide a valuable service to the filmmaking community. I'm specifically referring more to the ones that showcase independent and lower budget films or genres that traditionally don't fit easily into the mandate of the major awards shows or festivals. One of these gatherings is the Toronto After Dark Film Festival -- which is now gearing up for its 2nd go-around.

At this particular event, which bills itself as "Canada's premier showcase of thrilling international cinema," you'll be exposed to and have the chance to experience a diverse slate of horror, sci-fi, fantasy and thrilling films not just from Canada, but from around the world. Part of the mandate of the fest is to expose people to innovative and independent cinema they might not otherwise get to experience in a theater setting. The fest also helps to foster homegrown talent by offering a program featuring Canadian filmmakers who might not otherwise have their films exposed to a large audience (or, in some cases, any audience at all).

Of course, according to the fest's official site, even though they have a large selection of features, shorts and other film-related programming, its not all about the movies. During the event there will also be several parties hosted by the fest as well as, according to the site, a "hugely popular zombie walk" in downtown Toronto. Screenings of great films from undiscovered talent that helps promote independent filmmaking and zombies? What could be better than that? The fest runs from October 19-25.

Diverse, well-respected and Oscar-winning character actor Jim Broadbent has played a seriously wide-range of characters during his career. From the bartender in The Crying Game, to the singing impresario in Moulin Rouge! to Renee' Zellweger's father in Bridget Jones' Diary to his recent turn in Hot Fuzz, he's shown his extraordinary talent and his chameleon-like ability to inhabit a role so much that its often difficult to realize its the same actor playing all of these different parts. And now, according to the site BritFilms, Broadbent will be adding another role to his already impressive resume -- a part in the next Indiana Jones adventure.

When we previously reported his possible involvement in the film, Erik told you that Broadbent's participation was, although still in the "tipster" stage and not confirmed, a definite possibility. Now, according to this new information featured at the BritFilm site, I think we can safely say that this is indeed actual fact. Broadbent was doing publicity for another project and during that, let slip he would be playing a part in the film, currently known as Indiana Jones and the City of the Gods. "I'm doing a good cameo in the next 'Indiana Jones', so working with Mr.Spielberg should be an experience," said Broadbent in the article. As for the exact nature of his role, he only said this: I'm going to Yale – I'm a professor."

Of course, previously it was suggested that Broadbent would take on the Marcus Bordy role left vacant by the passing of the wonderful Denholm Elliot. To that he jokingly responded: "That would do for me." So, now we add this great actor to a roster that already includes John Hurt, Ray Winstone, Cate Blanchett, Shia LeBeouf and, of course, Indy himself Harrison Ford. With all this talent assembled under the direction of Steven Spielberg, I don't see how this film can go wrong. It's gonna be great and I can't wait.

Even though it may seem like he doesn't really rate the hugely successful career he has due to what some believe is rather questionable acting talent, there's no denying the star power and popularity of Keanu Reeves. From his first appearances in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure through movies such as Point Break, Speed, The Matrix and Constantine, Reeves has proven that while he might not win any awards for his acting chops, he can still manage to be an engaging and entertaining screen presence that I, and many others, enjoy watching.

Some of his recent work includes the romantic time-travel film The Lake House and the currently filming Night Watch, which is about corrupt cops and the search for justice and should not be confused with the great vampire action film directed by Timur Bekmambetov. Another project with which Reeves has been linked of late is the soon-to-be-filming adaptation of Alan Moore's classic graphic novel Watchmen -- which will be directed by 300 vet Zack Snyder. However, according to the site Club Keanu, the actor was actually offered the role of Dr. Manhattan in the film but turned it down.

No real reason was given at the site for Reeves' decision to pass on the role, but if we have to speculate for a minute, let's say it was because he didn't feel like doing any more movies where he has to be some sort of superhero. Or, at this point in his career, he would rather play music and tour with his band than act in any big-budget Hollywood movies. Whatever his reason for tuning down the role (if this is true), now Snyder and company need to consider other actors to inhabit Dr. Manhattan's blue skin. To help them out I'll offer a suggestion: Clive Owen. How about you guys? Who should play this, and other, roles in the film?

Batman, Batman, Batman. Ok, do I have your attention now? Good because this is great stuff and something that if you're a fan of then Batman character, the Batman Begins film and eagerly awaiting its sequel, The Dark knight, you can't possibly afford to pass up. But before I get to the new and exciting info, I'll relate the previous gems we've dropped for you about the upcoming sequel to Batman Begins here at Cinematical.

Over the past few months as production on The Dark Night has gone full steam ahead, we've shown you many, many things about the film including some casting details, set pictures, news that the film is shooting some scenes in IMAX and the first picture of Heath Ledger as the Joker. All great bits of info guaranteed to spark your interest in the upcoming sequel. And now, thanks to Latino Review and Joblo, we can share with you some new, first-look info about the Joker's car and how cool the Batman suit looks these days.

Yes, I realize that this new info may not be as exciting to you as finding out who's playing the Joker or that mercifully, Katie Holmes has been replaced by an actual actress in the form of Maggie Gyllenhaal, but these are still pretty cool items anyway. As someone who is a huge fan of the Batman character and loves what Christopher Nolan did with Batman Begins, I can't help but be excited when seeing pretty much anything about the film. For me, any detail, no matter how small, only helps heighten the anticipation for the film's eventually release. Which, in case you don't already know, is July 2008.

Ah Captivity, the plucky yet controversial little movie that announced its upcoming release with some billboards that a few people found objectionable, bounced back pretty well with some new art and the rest of the goodies that go into a promotional campaign for a film like this. And although its release date seems to jump around a bit -- now July 13th if you're keeping score at home -- the film has still managed to generate quite a bit of buzz inspite of, or due to, the controversy. Previously when we gave you info about this Elisha Cuthbert starrer in which she's basically imprisoned and abused for ninety minutes, we were able to relate some of the exciting plot details and give you a look at the first one-sheet for the film.

Now, thanks to Cinemablend we can share with you a brand new trailer for the film fresh from the minds at After Dark Films. This time the trailer makes the film look less like a rip-off of Hostel, as they rightly point out at the site, and more like the latest in a series of Saw clones hoping to cash-in on the horror hype. Don't get me wrong, I'll watch Elisha Cuthbert do almost anything for ninety minutes but I have to admit I'm getting a little tired of all the torture in horror movies these days. Who knows, maybe Roland Joffe' knows something I don't know and Captivity will end up a masterpiece and become a classic of the horror genre. I hope it does, but I kinda doubt it.

Occasionally I get accused of not paying attention to movies that are not made in Hollywood or one of the other major centers of Western cinema. So, its with great happiness that I admit to being a huge fan of Russian director Timur Bekmambetov and his films Night Watch and Day Watch. Each film is a visual feast for the eyes and although not so easy to follow sometimes, they are nonetheless terrific and very exciting. Obviously I'm not the only one who thinks so as the director has had very little trouble recruiting some big Hollywood names for his next project -- the comic book action thriller Wanted.

Some of the names Bekmambetov has already lined up for Wanted, which is based on Mark Millar's series of graphic novels, include James McAvoy, Common, Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie. And now, according to an article over at MTV, the director has apparently not gone completely Hollywood and has cast an old friend in the film as well -- the very funny and engaging Konstantin Khabensky, who played Anton in the director's previous films. It's nice to see Bekmambetov hasn't forgotten his friends now that he's doing a film with big Hollywood stars and a larger budget. Seeing what he and his team were able to achieve given the relatively limited budgets of his other films, I can only expect even bigger and better things from Wanted. Sadly, we'll have to wait until next March to find out just how great the film really is.