fish called wanda Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Movie-turned-musicals didn't do so well at the Tony Awards last night, but that doesn't mean people are going to stop adapting films for the stage. For instance, according to The Daily Telegraph, John Cleese is turning his hit movie A Fish Called Wanda into a musical. He's currently writing it with his 24-year-old daughter, Camilla, who he claims is even funnier than he is. He also jokes that they're going to attempt to write the songs themselves, but he thinks they're going to be no good, so he'll likely be bringing in a lyricist. For now, in its early stages, Cleese says they're simply working out the story (which shouldn't be too difficult, as it already exists in film form).

The Daily Telegraph somewhat speculates that Cleese is working on the project for two reasons: one, he didn't make any money off Spamalot, because he apparently agreed to waive his royalties, thinking the musical adaptation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail wouldn't do well; two, he's currently divorcing from his third wife. Tabloid gossip aside, and ignoring the fact that Cleese may have been 'taking the piss', are we ready for A Fish Called Wanda: The Musical? And if that's a success, would a Fierce Creatures: The Musical be not far behind?

I'm making a few changes to the TFT format; comments, suggestions and ideas from regular readers are more than welcome!

*Scott's Gimme Pick!* A Fish Called Wanda (Collector's Edition) -- One of the '80s very best comedies (FINALLY) gets the full-bore special edition it deserves! John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Palin and the (Oscar-winning) Kevin Kline bounce through this farce that's both sunny and acidic, smart and silly, goofy and great. And this package is absolutely stocked with goodies: Cleese commentary, 30 minutes of deleted scenes, some featurettes, a trivia track... I can't wait to add this into my collection! :)

Home Alone (Family Fun Edition) -- If you're a big fan of this celebration of holiday sweetness and hardcore slapstick, this new re-issue looks to be a solid buy. In addition to a Chris Columbus / Macaulay Culkin yack-track, you'll also get a whole bunch of extra goodies -- most of which are all-new to this edition!

Ice Age: The Meltdown -- Because your kid probably doesn't own enough animated movies about animals. Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Denis Leary return to add some personality to the prehistoric critters, and the DVD is predictably stocked with goodies for both old and young.

An Inconvenient Truth -- Al Gore gets all ecological and scares the bejeezus out of those of us who actually consider global warming a real threat. Extras include a pair of filmmaker commentaries, a few featurettes and a box composed of entirely recycled materials.

Independence Day -- Fox was planning to release a 10th Anniversary edition of this movie until someone reminded them that there'd already been a Special Edition, a Limited Edition and a Five-Star Collection edition. And the movie still kinda stinks.

Miracle on 34th Street (Special Edition) -- The 1947 holiday classic finally hits DVD with a swanky SE that's long overdue. The stocking-load of extras include an audio commentary from actress Maureen O'Hara, the 1955 made-for-TV remake, a bunch of documentaries both new and archival ... and you can choose between the (icky) colorized version or the (glorious) original B&W transfer!

The Punisher (Extended Cut) -- Everyone keeps telling me the extended cut of Daredevil is much better than the theatrical version, and I bet the same holds true for The Punisher. Thomas Jane does some solid work in this fairly standard (yet still watchable) little revenge story. New extras (aside from 17 extra minutes wedged into the main feature) include a still-deleted scene, a look at The Punisher's comic book history and some random featurettes.

Scoop -- Yep, Woody Allen's still making movies. This is the one with Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Jackman, I think. And if you've ever owned a Woody Allen DVD, you know what kind of extras to expect here: None. (I think.)

You, Me & Dupree -- Owen Wilson is a wacky dude who squats in the house of newlyweds Matt Dillon and Kate Hudson. Since I have yet to see the movie, I can only assume that much wackiness ensues before a valuable life lesson is learned. Extras-wise you get a pair of audio commentaries, a few featurettes, some deleted scenes and the ever-popular alternate ending.

Recent Theatricals

The Shaggy Dog (Disney) -- Tim Allen must be stopped. Seriously. (filmmaker commentary, deleted scenes, bark-along bone-us track for dogs and I'm not joking)

V for Vendetta (Warner Bros.) -- Natalie Portman goes all dystopian on us. Very cool flick. (2-disc SE includes four featurettes and a music video)

Catalog Picks

A Fish Called Wanda Special Edition (MGM) -- So get this: It's got 25 minutes of deleted scenes, a John Cleese audio commentary, an all-new retrospective piece ... and MGM canceled the release! Are you freakin' KIDDING ME? Argh.

My Summer Story (MGM) -- The kinda sorta but not really semi-sequel to A Christmas Story that you never heard of. (no extras)

Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (Sony) -- For my money, the guy's best concert. Sunset Strip comes close, but this is the king at his peak. (no extras)

Direct-to-Video

The Black Hole (Echo Bridge) -- Judd Nelson and Kristy Swanson battle an electrical monster who fell out of a man-made black hole. Don't ask. (featurette)

I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (Sony) -- And I'll always hate these movies, so stop making 'em. (filmmaker commentary, featurette)

Severed: Forest of the Dead (Universal) -- I don't know anything about this one, but the title makes me chuckle. (no extras)