In Contention

Tag: Terminator Salvation

  • Geek savvy is changing the world

    William Shatner in Star TrekDavid Hinckley, writing in the New York Daily News, has taken the release of “Star Trek,” the upcoming release of “Terminator Salvation” and Wednesday night’s season five finale of television’s “Lost” (can’t…wait) to champion the age of geek in a more thoughtful way than you might imagine.  It’s become perhaps a bit too easy to say things like “the future is now,” but spinning off on his own (arguably stretching) tangent, Hinckley presents the entertaining case that sci-fi/fanboy entertainment’s dominance over pop culture signifies perhaps a shift in the overall tactical mindset of the world.

    Pick a teen movie from “American Grafitti” to “Porky’s” to “American Pie,” and you’re almost certain to find a scene where some sneering muscle guy menaces the scrawny kid with glasses and straight A’s in math.  It’s always been a little scary to be the geek.

    But even back in the 1950s, long before schools had policies on bullying, it was clear to many readers of those Charles Atlas comic book ads that the guy washing the sand out of his eyes would someday own the business where the muscleman would be applying for a minimum-wage job.  Being a well-tanned bully might make you king of the beach on sunny days, but it’s not a skill that translates well to the rest of life.

    The geek has a lot more options, especially after his girlfriend has left him and he has more time to study math. Just kidding. Today, the geek’s got a real shot at keeping the girl, because in the larger perspective, our whole culture has shifted over the last 60 years from the muscle world to the geek world.

    To oversimplify only a little, we now develop computer applications and cyber-ideas the way we used to build Thunderbirds and iceboxes.

    It’s a nice piece well worth the read.  Check out the rest here.

  • Is Bale slacking?

    Christian Bale in Terminator SalvationThe first evaluations of “Terminator Salvation” are slowly creeping in (here’s AICN’s reasonably positive take if you’re interested), but I was more interested in something the Film Experience’s Nathaniel Rogers had to say about Christian Bale’s performance, which mirrors a grievance I’ve had with the actor’s work of late.

    Rogers likes the film well enough, but finds Bale’s contribution distinctly lacking:

    I am happy to report that unless Christian Bale’s eyes are particularly sensitive to bleached colors and shadowy sets, Shane Hurlbut’s lensing didn’t intrude on his thespian process at all. But Bale intruded on Bale’s thespian process.

    I liked Salvation a lot more than this next statement will imply but… John Connor was a dud. [editor’s note: Isn’t he always?] Christian Bale bored me silly. He used to be a thrilling and unpredictable actor. Now I feel like I’m seeing the same performance over and over again. It’s like he’s lipsynching to his own Arias of Intensity.

    I couldn’t agree more. Admittedly, I’ve never quite learned to love Bale — his most impressive performances (“The Machinist,” “American Psycho”) have a mannered quality that keeps me at arm’s length, while he has an unfortunate tendency to get outshone in talent-laden ensemble pieces (“Laurel Canyon,” “I’m Not There,” even “The Dark Knight”) — but he’s an undeniably accomplished and courageous actor.

    So it’s disappointing to see him applying the same shade of opaque intensity to one impenetrable hero after another recently. Here’s hoping he finds more notes to play in “Public Enemies.”

  • “I’ll be back.”

    Come on.  You knew they’d go there, right?

  • Bale puts a bow on THAT rant

    Christian BaleFrom an interview with Christian Bale in the new issue of Total Film:

    I’m not making any excuses, but there is an essential trust and it’s not a tacit one, which is every sound guy says, ‘We are not only not recording, we are not even listening.’ So, well, there goes that.

    I just don’t think it’s in anyone’s interest to know that much either. I’m actually someone that’s very anti the whole B-Rolls, DVD extras and stuff like that.

    I understand people are interested, I get that they want to hear about it, but to me I look at it as old school movie magic and with magic you do not reveal your secrets.

    The man has a point; as repelled as I was by his on-set behaviour, it’s really not an incident of which I should have been aware. We’re all arseholes on occasion, but most of us don’t have those occasions broadcast to the entire world.

    Ahem. Anyway, if that doesn’t sound like the final word on the whole unfortunate affair, I don’t know what does.

  • McG talks ‘Terminator’ sequel

    McGI don’t think there’s a site on the net more trigger happy with the word “EXCLUSIVE” (besides maybe Collider) than MTV’s admittedly whip-smart, on it movies blog.  You take the good with the bad, I guess.  Everyone wants to claim morsels of nothingness for their own in this increasingly copycat coverage age of online journalism.

    Anyway, the crew over there recently cornered director McG on the possibility of a “Terminator” franchise beyond next month’s “Terminator Salvation.”  Bottom line, I really want this film to work.  I felt like I breathed a sigh of relief with “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” in 2003, which I quite enjoyed.  It felt like the franchise dodged a bullet.  I’ve already gone on about how much I love the new trailer, but it’s also clear that a PG-13 rating it’s troublesome to say the least, especially in a franchise that has been dominated by the R.

    In a nutshell, Warner Bros. has made it clear that money is a bit more interesting as of late than most anything else, and a PG-13 rating is likely to bring in a bigger audience than an R.  A tent-pole heavy slate of product has dominated the studio’s list of upcoming works while indie divisions have been cut loose and allowed to disintegrate.

    Keep that in mind as you read through McG’s comments to MTV below.  The bold is mine (and indicative of an obvious desire to see this thing reach “Dark Knight” level business):

    “If we have good fortune we have indeed planned out two more ‘Terminator’ pictures,” explained the director, keeping his fingers crossed that “Salvation” opens strongly on May 21st. “There’s an arc of story [in the new sequels].”

    This arc will be left open with the ending of “Salvation,” which will point to a “Terminator 5” film. “The ending is indeed elliptical,” McG told us. “And it challenges the audience. It’s not a happy little bow of an ending at all. The ending is tough and requires reflection, and in some degrees it bifurcates the audience. You walk back to the car and one person thinks it means this, and the other person thinks it means that.”

    As fans know, McG recently signed on to a film version of the Broadway hit “Spring Awakening,” and is also working on an update of another sci-fi classic.

    “I’m working on ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea’ out of Disney,” he said of the update of the Jules Verne tale. “I’m prepping that.”

    But if “Salvation” is a big enough hit, those other movies might have to wait until McG and Christian Bale reunite for the fifth “Terminator” flick.

    “I would never presume there would be another picture – that is up to the audience,” he explained. “But if the audience jumps up and likes it and wants another one, Christian and I have been talking about it and we’ll see what happens.”

    “You have to see how the film is received,” McG added. “And that’s in the hands of the fans.”

    I know what you’re all thinking: “McG knows what bifurcate means?”

  • 2/9 Oscarweb Round-up

    Mickey Rourke in Diner• Thom Yorke and Gustavo Santaolalla to join forces on “Terminator Salvation” tunes?? [The Playlist]

    • Tom O’Neil spotlights the BAFTA voting process. [Gold Derby]

    • T.L. Stanley on the politics of Dustin Lance Black’s WGA acceptance speech. [Gold Rush]

    • David Poland says Universal dropped the ball on “Frost/Nixon,” as represented by its incredibly weak box office showing. [The Hot Blog]

    • Along a similar line of thought, and in an increasingly popular column idea the past week or so, Peter Sciretta comments on three of this year’s Best Picture nominees being among the lowest grossers in Academy history. [/Film]

    • Presumably out of ideas for the time being, Jeff Wells goes seeking advanced word on “The Road” at…IMDb. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • Barry Levinson writes a love letter to Mickey Rourke.  Did they kick the tires and light the fires in the nick of time for this campaign to push on ahead? [New York Times]

    • Bolt and the other characters who transformed cinema. [The Independent]

    • Roger Ebert predicts a handful of the categories, steps out on a limb for Viola Davis. [Chicago Sun-Times]

    • Across the pond, newly minted BAFTA winner Penelope Cruz explains why she can’t stop crying. [The Sunday Times]

    • Richard Brody spots a mole on the set of Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island.”  Well, not really — it’s actually a Cahiers du Cinema-sponsored Argentinian filmmaker/mentee. [The New Yorker]

  • Hollywood uses the comic book rack for added buzz

    Cover of Star Trek: Mirror ImagesI’ve kind of been expecting a piece along these lines for quite a while now.  Every time I go into my local comic book store (guilty), I see some series lining the shelves based on either a film or television show, sometimes in form of a prequel.  I generally refrain from picking up, say, “C.S.I.” or “Fringe,” but that “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” prequel book has me somewhat interested.

    Here’s the opening few graphs from Scott Bowles’s piece:

    Having plundered comic books for decades, Hollywood is giving a little back.  Studios are increasingly turning their properties over to illustrators and writers before movies are released to generate Internet chatter, early fans and anticipation within the all-important comic-book community.

    The latest comic comes from Push, the sci-fi thriller starring Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning that opens Friday. Wildstorm, a division of DC Comics, has created a six-issue series that fleshes out the movie’s plot about expats with supernatural powers.

    And a magazine rack-full of other movies are here or on the way.

    Bowles then goes on to rattle off a multitude of examples, from “G.I. Joe” to “Terminator Salvation” and everything in between.  I’ve always felt there was a great opportunity with this kind of concentrated cross-medium promotion.  Of course, some viewers aren’t interested in comic books, and that’s fine, but what’s wrong with an amplified experience?  To boot:

    “It’s a great way to flesh out back stories and create references for the movie,” says Hank Kanalz, Wildstorm’s general manager. “You can watch the movie without reading the comic book. But you’ll have a better experience if you do.”

    Interestingly enough, last summer’s blockbuster “The Dark Knight” didn’t come with the usual comic adaptation.

    Check out the full story at USA Today.

  • Putting a bow on the Bale dust-up

    Christian Bale in American PsychoIf you’ve paid attention the last 24 hours, you’re well aware of the Christian Bale F-bomb tirade.  And if you haven’t made yourself familiar with the techno remix of same, do yourself a favor…now.

    Well “Terminator Salvation” assistant director Bruce Franklin (called out by name in the recording: “Shut the f— up, Bruce!”) has spoken to E! Online about the incident, giving what I feel to be a level-headed assessment of something like this, even if it was a bit overblown on Bale’s part.  Franklin says:

    “If you are working in a very intense scene and someone takes you out of your groove…but was the most emotional scene in the movie,” said Franklin. “And for him to get stopped in the middle of it. He is very intensely involved in his character. He didn’t walk around like that all day long. It was just a moment and it passed.”

    “This was my second movie with Christian and it has always been a good experience with him,” added Franklin, who also worked with the actor on 2000’s Shaft. “He is so dedicated to the craft. I think someone is begging to make some noise about this but I don’t think it’s fair. The art of acting is not paint by numbers, it’s an art form.”

    Well, it’s been a nice diversion in this slow news week.  Moving on…

    (via /Film)

  • Christian Bale flips out on the set of ‘Terminator Salvation’

    Christian BaleIt must have bubbled up inside Christian Bale real good and hot for him to lose his shit like this.  TMZ broke the story (hate to link to them, but this is spicy stuff).

    Apparently “Terminator Salvation” D.P. Shane Hurlbut wasn’t being sensitive enough to Bale’s acting process, walking around and being somewhat distracting off camera during a scene between Bale and Bryce Dallas Howard, and Bale went off like a friggin’ fireworks display.

    The best part is when he sounds like he’s literally going to get up and go beat the living hell out of Hurlbut toward the end of the tape.  I can’t really hear what’s going on in the background, but judging from Bale’s reaction, Hurlbut must have been stating his case a little too much for the actor’s taste, or perhaps he was egging him on in some way, I can’t tell.  But jeez, talk about a testy moment.  My guess is the “Shut the f— up, Bruce” comment is aimed at 1st A.D. Bruce Franklin (the toughest job on any film set).  This incident happened just before his London arrest, apparently, but the audio just made it out today.

    After Bale’s recent legal troubles, something like this is bound to add to the gathering snowball that paints him as a hot head, a loose cannon, whatever.  I’ve met him a couple of times, and he’s certainly a serious fellow.  But he’s also got a sense of humor buried in there that is quite hysterical.  Then again, you can always sense he could quite easily be on the verge of snapping like a twig and going atomic on someone’s ass.

    I hope Hurlbut made it out alive.

  • 1/10 Oscarweb Round-up

    Nicole Kidman in Australia• “Milk” composer Danny Elfman has signed on to score “Terminator Salvation.”  Eh. [MTV]

    • Jeffrey Wells keeps the quoted-out-of-context game running with that Nicole Kidman “squirm” story. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • Regarding said story, Michael Cieply reports it properly, indicating the “perils of candor.” [The Carpetbagger]

    • Alicia Lozano writes up the resurrection of the Golden Globes. [The Envelope]

    • Tom O’Neil has some backstage interviews from Thursday’s Critics’ Choice Awards. [Gold Derby]

    • Anne Thompson reports on Oscar hopes from the AFI Awards. [Thompson on Hollywood]

    • T.L. Stanley stakes a claim for her Golden Globe bets. [Gold Derby]

    • Guy Adams has a preview of the upcoming Globes, with a bit about that Anne Hathaway win slip-up. [The Independent]

    • Exciting times for indieWIRE: a new design and, apparently, a newly imagined site is on the horizon. [indieWIRE]

  • My top 10 most anticipated films of 2009

    Johnny Depp in Public EnemiesNo explanations, just my annual unfiltered, edge-of-my-seat anticipations.  My tastes tend to skew entertainment from afar; I don’t look forward to the Oscar stuff until later in the year, when the pieces of that crazy puzzle are slowly revealed.

    Here’s what I’m looking forward to:

    1. “Watchmen” (Zack Snyder, Warner Bros. Pictures, March 6)
    2. “Public Enemies” (Michael Mann, Universal Pictures, July 1)
    3. “Avatar” (James Cameron, 20th Century Fox, Dec. 18)
    4. “A Christmas Carol” (Robert Zemeckis, Walt Disney Pictures, Nov. 5)
    5. “Terminator Salvation” (McG, Warner Bros. Pictures, May 22)
    6. “Shutter Island” (Martin Scorsese, Warner Bros. Pictures, Oct. 2)
    7. “Green Zone” (Paul Greengrass, Universal Pictures, TBA)
    8. “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (Gavin Hood, 20th Century Fox, May 1)
    9. “State of Play” (Kevin Macdonald, Universal Pictures, April 17)
    10. “2012” (Roland Emmerich, Columbia Pictures, July 10)

    Least anticipated: “Inglorious Bastards”

    You?

  • New ‘Terminator Salvation’ trailer kicks…well, you know

  • Oh yeah, the ‘Half-Blood’ bump

    Michael Gambon in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceI received the press release regarding Warner Bros. pushing “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” to 2009 earlier today when I was out and about. And frankly, four hours later, it had already slipped my mind.

    So what does this mean in the awards landscape? I’m not sure, since WB isn’t one of the awards-obsessive studios that makes decisions based only on “the season.”

    Maybe the movie is crap and needs some work. Maybe the studio smells blood after “The Dark Knight” and feels that “Terminator Salvation” isn’t enough of an ace in the hole next summer. I don’t know. But the wizard’s out of the derby now and that frees up some budget dollars for “Knight” and “Body of Lies.”

    That’s all I’m saying…

    Anyway, bravo to Steve Kloves for whoring it out on seven straight projects after an artistic showcase like “Wonder Boys.” The checks must be substantial. And his cut-and-paste function must be wearing out by now.

  • Comic-Con round-up

    San Diego Comic-Con InternationalI’m heading out the door to hit the Wrath of the Con party tonight, but before I go, I thought I’d link out to the news items worth reading from Comic-Con this weekend.

    At Cinematical, Elisabeth Rappe writes up the “Wolf Man” panel, which included the revelation of the film’s first trailer.  She also calls Marvel’s new animated film “Wolverine vs. Hulk” a “blast.”

    At The Movie Blog, John Campea kicks back with the ladies of “Bitch Slap” (who’ve certainly made the rounds) for an interview at the Marriott.  There’s also some nice video of Entertainment Weekly’s Visionaries panel including Frank Miller, Kevin Smith, Zack Snyder and Judd Apatow.  Strange collective.

    At io9, Charlie Anders writes up the footage-less “Lost” panel with some video tossed in for good measure.

    At Screen Rant, Vic Holtreman live blogs the “Terminator Salvation” panel.

    At /Film, Peter Sciretta passes on Zack Snyder’s revelation during the “Watchmen” panel that the director would be interested in a “Dark Knight Returns” movie.  Who wouldn’t?  There is also the exciting news that Jonathan Nolan was confirmed as the lead writer on “Terminator Salvation” by McG himself.

    That should be plenty to chew on.  I’m outta here.

  • Comic-Con…here we go

    San Diego Comic-ConTomorrow night, the entertainment press will descend upon San Diego for preview night at this year’s annual Comic-Con International. My feelings on this glut-fest are well documented, but even with that in mind, there is simply little to pique my interest as a comic fan.

    Friday’s Warner Bros. panel may have some interesting additives for “Watchmen” (which already launched a trailer last week) and “Terminator: Salvation” (ditto).

    Lionsgate’s “Spirit” presentation can’t possibly offer much more than we’ve already seen in a blanket advertising campaign. And Frank Miller doesn’t exactly dig the festivities in any case.

    Fox’s Thursday presentation offers nothing worth a second glance (though I have an odd interest in “Max Payne”), while Saturday’s offering of a “Pineapple Express” panel is evidence of the Con’s loss of perspective. Not that I’m not interested in the film, mind you, but the studios sank their fangs into the demographic by pushing anything passably Con-worthy on the event years ago, increasingly sucking it dry of life. It all makes me sad.

    But there’s nothing wrong with a giant room full of comics and action figures, not to mention Lou Ferrigno peddling photos for $20 a pop!

    There will be a “Tropic Thunder” screening tomorrow night, while the aforementioned “Pineapple Express” will go before a few critics and journos as well. Be on the look-out for knee-jerk reactions.

    For me, the parties have become the only reason to bother with the convention in recent years. With that in mind, I’ll be heading down Saturday for the Wrath of Con shin-dig — the party of the week. Maybe I’ll corner David Goyer and settle this Two-Face thing once and for all.

  • What will the Bat’s Monday gross be?

    Warner Bros. Pictures\' The Dark KnightI was just talking with someone who went to see “The Dark Knight” at a noon IMAX show today and was met with a sold out crowd. So I’m wondering, what will the Monday gross turn out to be, and how many more records are left for the Bat to claim?

    The 4-day total is obviously going to fall. “Spider-Man 3” raked in $10.2 million on the Monday following release on the way to a $161.4 million 4-day.

    “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith,” meanwhile, holds the 5-day record with $172.8 million. If “Knight” even matches Spidey’s Monday number (and it’s probably safe to say it’ll zip past it), that will already put the film within $4 million of the 5-day title.

    I’m not a whiz with box office research, but I don’t remember the last time a Friday release claimed the 5-day total. The top 10 on that front is littered with Wednesday releases.

    It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the world responds to the hoopla and, of course, the specter of Heath Ledger. Personally, I’d love to see the film threaten a billion bucks worldwide, but with a mere $166 million outside the States for “Batman Begins,” that’s obviously a long shot.

    It’ll also be interesting to see what film takes the opening weekend crown from “The Dark Knight.” Looking on the horizon, I can’t even see a pretender to that throne.

    “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen?” Doubtful. The opening for the original wasn’t as big as many anticipated and nothing about that film’s quality would suggest a rush to the box offices for part two.

    “Terminator: Salvation?” Maybe. But that would take some marketing razzle-dazzle to say the least.

    No, it may take a second “Iron Man,” a fourth “Shrek” or a third “Toy Story” to even come close. ut we’re surprised each and every year, so let’s just sit back and enjoy the ride.

  • Things I care about at this year’s Comic-Con: part one

    I really won’t be caught dead at another San Diego Comic-Con so long as I live (though I will be attending what should be a fun after party Friday night).  But studios are beginning to announce their line-ups and I guess it’s time to start rooting through what would be worth checking out.

    Warner Bros. has apparently revealed its schedule, though the only thing I’m interested in is “Watchmen” and “Terminator Salvation.”

    But let’s face it, the “Terminator” thing will be a whole lot of hot air, much like the “Watchmen” thing was last year.  In any case, I’m hoping Zack Snyder has some schnazzy stuff to reveal this time around.  I have high hopes (and a really good feeling) about this thing.

  • ‘Dark Knight’ interviews with cast and crew

    Warner Bros. publicity has made the round table interviews from last weekend’s “Dark Knight” junket available.  There’s a lot of good, in-depth stuff from Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart and the rest.

    There is, however, a big hole in everything, because you can’t help but wish Heath Ledger was there to discuss his approach to a character that seems to be an award-worthy swan song.

    Keep in mind that these are junketers…so sometimes you get a few doosey questions (usually the first person out of the gate).  But everyone weathers the storm well enough.  Pay attention to the end of the Bale file; he talks briefly about Michael Mann’s upcoming “Public Enemies” and McG’s “Terminator Salvation.”

    There is also a slight spoiler around the 11:00 mark of the Aaron Eckhart interview, however, one that you might want to skip.  It isn’t specific, but it’s enough information that could be irritating to know before seeing the film.  Enjoy.


    Christopher Nolan (writer/director):
    [audio:Nolan-TDKjunket.mp3]
    Download


    Christian Bale (Bruce Wayne/Batman):
    [audio:Bale-TDKjunket.mp3]
    Download


    Aaron Eckhart (Harvey Dent/Two-Face):
    [audio:Eckhart-TDKjunket.mp3]
    Download

    More after the jump, including Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jonathan Nolan!

    (more…)