Weekenders Blog. A Look Back On The Week In Movies And More. By Guy (86)

Old news for the Boy US adapt? Old A-Team to meet New A-Team? Monopoly in Wonderland (Part 2) Trailers & odd topic

Live from the Dresden a few blocks from Mike’s apartment in the Los Feliz, area of Los Angles CA.


IT IS…

THE WEEKENDERS Y’ALL

Yes, yes. I’m still here. I’m not gonna go over the whole cold thing again. Suffice to say as hard as they tired those three dames couldn’t relive me of the fever. They did their very best to thrash and whack the fever out of me one at a time. But to no avail Ah well, all U can do is try, right? Back to W.A.N.K it is then. Actually hand on heart, as I sit and write this the now I do feel better so on the mend I guess. In fact fuck it. I haven’t done this in ages…

LETS CRACK ONE OFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So how are U? Hmmm? Well Full armour might help U on that one, but that’s only if you want to go half way and in circles.

Ok, so let us see where to start. What should be the first story? Ah yes….

A few months ago I told a story of a possible Oldboy US adapt directed by Steven Spielberg and starting Will Smith. Of course when this news first broke fans of the film jaws dropped. Then it was revealed that it was more of adapt of the original Manga comic book, Korean film itself being an adapt. To the fans this was still bullshit but as reasons I will get to in a moment it stood to reason.
But now it seems the project is dead for now at least. Mandate and Dreamworks couldn’t come to a final an agreement. Dreamworks of course wanting the rights to the Oldboy. So with the deal dead in the water that means as is Will’s and Steve’s involvement.

So this is good news of course as many were wondering just how bad… um… different this would have looked compared to its origin material and Korean half. It has always been said that the film could not be made for the US due to where the story ends up going and that. I agree with this, which for whatever reason…… don’t get mad.. lol. But I was kind of curious to see how this would be done. Look at the end of the day U have this very odd paring of Will & Steve as they took on this very dark and wrong film. U tell me that U weren’t the least bit curious to know how it would be made… I mean look at this way. It’s fair to say that Will Smith is a very wholesome man, and as we also know Mr money in the bank when it comes to films. So I myself wondered if Will could pull it off, would he have it in him to tackle such material? And would Spielberg have the balls to go all the way with the film? The answer to both is no, probably not. I know that. The US Oldboy would be sooooo watered down it would be a joke.

As to why Will was cast well considering if the Manga was the exact adapt it kind of makes sense. In the book Oldboy is character who starts out of shape and through all the years of isolation, exercises and puts on muscle and height to the point he looks like an all American action hero. Or maybe more like this guy….

So it did kind of make sense to cast “Big Will” to play that role. But yeah, morbid curiosity apart I know what this film would have and wouldn’t have been and glad the plug has been pulled. But what I would say is that I don’t think we have heard the last of it. I could see this being revived some day. I tell ya though, if they could nut up again I’d like to see Liongsate take on Oldboy. At one time they were the leading company in indy horror/thriller films and would think nothing of dealing with tough topics in an unflinching manner ( Hard Candy) So if it were to swing back to an indy company like that maybe Oldboy could be done right cause this one film the big guns should not touch ever. And ever and ever and ever and ever and ever… ever.

The shooting for the new A-Team film is well underway but now folks are wondering if any of the old cast will make an appearance. Well the answer is yes in the form of Dwight Schultz who will be making a cameo in the film.

Not sure if he will be Murdoch or not. I mean the film already has one played by District 9’s Sharlto Copley

But then again. What else would Dwight do ya know? So I’m not quite sure how it will be handled but it will be interesting. There are also rumours Mr T and the other surviving members of the team could make cameos too. I’m kind of in two minds about this A-team film though. I grew up on the show man and I loved it. Now I accept that changes will be made to the film like having wild shoots out and just hitting plants pots. Getting locked in a shed with nothing but wood and being able to make a friggin tank. Stuff like that I doubt would work in a film setting. But if these changes affect the overall film to the point it’s too “grown up” then we might have a problem.

Ok, just to prove I wasn’t making any of this Monopoly stuff up on the podcast here it is quote by quote one producer Frank Beddor.

The mad hatter?

“[Hasbro has] this big world and this game — it’s the most famous board game in the world — and it just really came out of the whole ‘Alice’ thing. I took the approach of thinking of the main character falling down a rabbit hole and into a real place called Monopoly City … It was the re-engineering of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ that got me thinking and then with this it came around full circle and I was able to utilize that. That’s a big world. They were searching for that."

“I wrote the story that got Hasbro excited and I attached Ridley Scott. The project was underway but they were in a little bit of trouble I guess and they were looking for a way to actually turn it into a movie. I had a pretty interesting take and it got Sir Ridley interested.”

“Things will change; it’s been a couple of years since I came up with all that. I did my job where I created this world so they could get really excited and get Ridley excited.”

“I created a comedic, lovable loser who lives in Manhattan and works at a real estate company and he’s not very good at his job but he’s great at playing Monopoly. And the world record for playing is 70 straight days – over 1,600 hours – and he wanted to try to convince his friends to help him break that world record. They think he is crazy. They kid him about this girl and they’re playing the game and there’s this big fight. And he’s holding a Chance card and after they’ve left he says, ‘Damn, I wanted to use that Chance card,’ and he throws it down. He falls asleep and then he wakes up in the morning and he’s holding the Chance card, and he thinks, ‘That’s odd.’”

Ok, this is me speaking now. I just want to dare U. Firstly to believe what U are about to read and then to hold a straight fucking face afterwards ok? =D

“He’s all groggy and he goes down to buy some coffee and he reaches into his pocket and all he has is Monopoly money. All this Monopoly money pours out. He’s confused and embarrassed and the girl reaches across the counter and says, ‘That’s OK.’ And she gives him change in Monopoly money. He walks outside and he’s in this very vibrant place, Monopoly City, and he’s just come out of a Chance Shop. As it goes on, he takes on the evil Parker Brothers in the game of Monopoly. He has to defeat them. It tries to incorporate all the iconic imageries — a sports car pulls up, there’s someone on a horse, someone pushing a wheelbarrow — and rich Uncle Pennybags, you’re going to see him as the maître d’ at the restaurant and he’s the buggy driver and the local eccentric and the doorman at the opera. There’s all these sight gags.”

So just to ask. HOW the F-BOMB did this get approved? Um.... Frank?

“Well it was that pitch, that’s where Sir Ridely got excited. After I pitched it to him, he put out his hand and said, ‘What do I have to be part of this movie?’

This is of course RIDLEY Scott. The brother who directs the GOOD films. Just thought I'd point it in case U really couldn't believe what U are reading so far... Anyway...

“So I said [to Ridley Scott], ‘Do you mean you want to direct it?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, and I will tell you why – it’s all the things you just said and the fact that I had these epic Monopoly battles with my family when I was young.’”

Epic battles? Like this?

I mean. I just played the game, there was no fights with my family. Mr Beddor must have grown up in a Simpsons like house. lol

“Everybody reacted the same way when they heard that there was going to be a ‘Pirates of the Caribbean‘ movie — and I did too. Look, so much of it is about the execution. You know the visual component is going to be beautiful with Ridley. And you have all of the world editions to deal with — there are different editions of the game so the city won’t be limited to the Atlantic City edition that we know in America. Ridley grew up with the British version.”

“Well it’s not about that; it can’t be just about the money. To me it’s more a metaphor for life, the taking of chances and this character through this process learns that he can do a lot of things. He’s completely brave and strategic and risk-taking while playing this game but in real life he’s a mess. He won’t roll the dice. That’s the character and journey he has to take.”

That last part was to a question about is this movie a good thing to have given the current money deal and such. I'd thing that was the least of this films problems man.


See??? I didn’t make it up. It really is that messed up lol. And Alice Wonderland really? The whole thing just seems daft to me. Stay tuned to see just how daft it gets.

Let’s look at this week’s trailers now.






Ink reminds me of a Japanese film adventure films.

Kick Ass looks interesting. Reminds me of a cheery version of of my very own Awesome Superhero story. Lol

Date Night looks meh

Clash of the Titans… um.. well it’s a decent enough trailer and shit but something just doesn’t sit right with me man.

And Grown Ups. Well this trailer has been courting all kinds of reaction over if it’s funny or not. I don’t think it will be, and I think any funny scenes are in right there in that bloody trailer.



Ok, just before I go titbits. Nightmare on Elm Street reamake was given a test screening and work back is “mediocre” Yikes. But at this early stage the film had no effects, editing and well everything really. Lol. So lets just see how it all comes together in the coming months.

Broken Lizard has been given the go ahead for a Super Troopers 2 film. I quite enjoyed the first film, I’ll say that. But it’s been a while since it came out. 2002 to be besides.

And there will be two more Saw films. With the word being pretty much keep making them as long as they make money. Um,.... UGH? Maybe?

Ok, well that’s gonna do it for now. Thanks for reading. Hope U enjoyed it and please remember to listen the podcast which is now on at the actual weekends.

Thanks again for the support on the group.

And as always thank U to BDiddy for just being her. That’s all I need to press on when times get a tad hard. =D

K, well be back here next week for another blog. Until then. BE MONEY Y’ALLLL

Guy…. (86)