gung ho Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Can I ask you a question: When did we lose Ron Howard? Was it EdTv? How the Grinch Stole Christmas? Did these two films back-to-back force Howard to re-direct his career so that every film he made was either an Oscar-poised drama or a Dan Brown adaptation? Today, Variety tells us that Universal and Imagine Entertainment are now looking to strap Howard down to the director's chair for an adaptation of The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft -- which is a graphic novel from Mac Carter and Jeff Blitz that takes elements of Lovecraft's struggles in real life and combines them with a fantastical element that includes transforming all of his darkest nightmares into reality.

Sounds pretty cool and creepy, but is it the type of film we want from Ron Howard? I appreciate that he's looking to play with another genre (even though this kind of story seems perfect for Tim Burton), but am I the only one who would love to see Howard return to comedy? Arrested Development was brilliant, sure, and I really do hope that movie gets made -- but I'm talking along the lines of Splash, Gung Ho, Nightshift or even Parenthood. Heck, Willow wasn't that bad either. Where did Ron Howard's playful side run off to? Since when were we interested in the dark and disturbing side of Ron Howard?

Seriously, are you liking Howard's career choices right now? Do you think he's a good fit for this H.P. Lovecraft comic adaptation, or would you rather see a sequel to Gung Ho?

Let me get this right out of the way -- I chose not to watch The Pink Panther (remake, was it?) when it hit theaters back in 2006. As a major fan of comedy, the original Panther flicks directed by Blake Edwards and featuring Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau are, in my mind, comedic masterpieces (with A Shot in the Dark being my favorite). From time to time I'll take in the occasional remake (and, more often, sequel), but there are some films I refuse to go near. Not because they look bad, or because people tell me they're bad -- I choose not watch them simply because I don't want the film to tarnish the awesome feelings I associate with the original work. Thus, I stayed far away from The Pink Panther (starring Steve Martin), so I will not use this space to rip apart a film I did not see.

Instead, I'll bring you news (via The Hollywood Reporter) that Harald Zwart has been tapped to direct The Pink Panther 2 for Columbia Pictures and MGM. The good news? Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel were brought on to rewrite the script; these are the two responsible for gems like Gung Ho, City Slickers and Parenthood. So, knowing they're involved should help boost some confidence. Zwart was the man behind Agent Cody Banks and One Night at McCool's, but let's not hold that against him. Steve Martin will once again return to play Inspector Clouseau, and this time it appears he teams up with a bunch of moronic European detectives to try to stop a massive crime wave. No word on a release date, but the powers that be are eying an August production start.

Although he often gets work in front of the screen, Hank Azaria is best known in the entertainment industry for voicing multiple characters on The Simpsons. Now, he's going to continue his behind-the-scenes status by directing his first feature, a comedy called Outsourced (not to be confused with the Outsourced that played at TIFF).

The movie, written by Timothy Dowling, is about two guys who are laid off when the factory they work for relocates to Mexico. The plot follows the pair as they travel south of the border to get their jobs back. It kinda sounds like an inverse of Ron Howard's Gung Ho, but with presumably more racist road tripping and less cultural commentary (I think that was Howard's intention, anyway).

A few years ago a comedy about outsourced labor might have been more timely, but I guess the issue still exists, and a film about outsourcing will still be topical. Besides, a modern comedy, especially one sold originally as a vehicle for Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, isn't likely to be about the issues. Right? Comedies these days are either dumbed down satire or dumbered down satire (don't get me wrong, both examples are still funny), but rarely are they really about anything of social importance. But I guess it is too hard to mix the funny and the serious.

Happy Labor Day! All year long, you've been working hard, meeting deadlines, filing reports, sending emails, crunching numbers and counting up those vacation days, while strategically placing them at certain times throughout the year in order to maximize their potential. Heck, you deserve a day off -- 24 hours of rest, relaxation and a whole lot of nothing.

My favorite kinds of movies to watch on Labor Day are those that remind me why this day is important in the first place -- ya know, why it matters. And, what a better way to do that then to throw in a package of tasty microwave popcorn, slide into those comfy slippers and settle down with a few of your favorite work-related flicks. So, on a day that's dedicated to the American working men and women, how about we celebrate not working by enjoying some of the following films: