That Thing You Do!

I was arranging my CD collection recently and came across the soundtrack album for Tom Hanks’ 1996 film, That Thing You Do! TTYD! tells the story of the Wonders, sometimes spelling Oneders, pronounced o-Need-ers, an Erie, Pennsylvania garage band of 1964 who write a hit song, hit the big time, and then break up. TheContinue reading “That Thing You Do!”

Van Helsing

Friday afternoon I asked people, several times over, what they thought of Van Helsing as they left the theatre. “Better than Hellboy!” some said. “Better than LXG!” others said. I loved Hellboy, enjoyed LXG for the most part. It seemed, then, that my fears that Van Helsing would reveal itself as a disaster were unfounded.Continue reading “Van Helsing”

A Recent Acquisition – Arthur Wontner as Sherlock Holmes

Alpha Video released over the past few months onto DVD several Sherlock Holmes films made in the 1930s starring Arthur Wontner—The Sign of Four, The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes, and Murder at the Baskervilles. I chanced across The Sign of Four at Suncoast Video a few weeks ago, then ordered the other two direct fromContinue reading “A Recent Acquisition – Arthur Wontner as Sherlock Holmes”

Hellboy on the silver screen

I saw the Hellboy movie a few days ago. I liked the film, though it’s not without some problems. The film’s greatest flaw is also, I think, it’s greatest strength–its fidelity to the source material. A person who knows the Hellboy comics will have a ball with this film, identifying which story which little throwawayContinue reading “Hellboy on the silver screen”

On the Upcoming Aliens Vs Predator Film

There’s an Aliens Vs. Predator film coming out this August. Directed by Paul Anderson, director of the hugely underrated Event Horizon. Some friends think this is the worst thing since I don’t know what, but I’m actually excited by the prospect. Aliens! Predators! 🙂 I’ve always thought an Aliens vs. Predator film could be good.Continue reading “On the Upcoming Aliens Vs Predator Film”

On a Foundation Movie

A recent announcement from Locus: “The film version of [Isaac] Asimov’s ‘Foundation’ trilogy optioned in 2000 by Fox, is moving forward, with a screenwriter assigned, and will likely appear as two films, ‘Foundation’ and ‘Second Foundation.’” You want my honest opinion? I think Foundation is pretty much unfilmable. But I’d have said that about TheContinue reading “On a Foundation Movie”