She’s back and bloody as hell

Check out the poster art, stills and a teaser trailer for the new remake of Stephen King’s Carrie. It stars Chloe Moretz as the tortured teen Carrie and Julianne Moore as her mad mother Margaret. It’s looking pretty good so far even though I think the original is one of the best films ever. My only quibble is that Carrie is supposed to be a rather plain girl and she looks kinda too pretty for my taste.  Even so I am getting very excited. It is due for release in the States in March 2013.

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Read all about it – The Paperboy is trash!!!

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times as part of his review for Lee Daniel’s (Precious) new film The Paperboy mentioned this quote from critics guru Pauline Kael – “the movies are so seldom great art that if we can’t appreciate great trash, we might as well not go at all”. This piqued my interest and Ebert gave the film the thumbs up – this coming from the man who co-wrote one of my favorite trash movies Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls directed by trashmeister Russ Meyer.

The film divided critics when it premiered at this years Cannes film festival. It has been described as a pot boiler with high camp moments – I’m lining up already!!!  Any film that features Zach Efron in white undies for a big chunk of the film, and Nicole Kidman as a trashy tart urinating on him surely has to be worth the price of admission? Lee Daniels in an interview stated that Nicole applied her own makeup for the film – I wonder if she also kept up the botox injections?

I am unsure as to when it will be released in Australia so keep your eyes out for it and lets hope it doesn’t go straight to DVD.

Happy birthday George, Martha and James.

October 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of 3 very popular and famous characters – two on stage and one on screen.

George and Martha one of theatres most contentious married couples exploded on stage October 13, 1962 in Edward Albee’s masterpiece Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf.  A week  earlier on October 5th the film premiere of Dr No and adaptation of an Ian Fleming novel introduced us to super spy James Bond.

A half a century later they are still going strong with the release of the latest Bond film Skyfall (number 23 in the franchise), and the opening of a new production of Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf on Broadway.

Sean Connery played James Bond first back then and he is arguably the best. Recently the mantle was taken over by actor Daniel Craig and some would say he may be ever better, he returns in Skyfall and the film itself has received very positive reviews from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. It has a serious director at the helm in Sam Mendes and with cinematography by the great Roger Deakins and production design by Dennis Gassner it is sure to be the best looking Bond film ever. Also quite exciting is that the latest Bond villian is played by Javier Bardem sure to be a highlight amongst many. It opens in Australia in early November.

The latest Broadway incarnation of Albee’s classic play comes by way of an acclaimed production by Chicago’s acclaimed Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Playing the dysfunctional couple this time are actor/playwright Tracey Letts as George and Amy Morton as Martha. Morton played a leading role in Lett’s Tony winning hit play August: Osage County a few seasons back. It opened at the Booth theatre on October 13 exactly 50 years after the first premiere. Of course there was cinemas famous George and Martha played to perfection by Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in a 1966 film adaptation directed by Mike Nichols, who can ever forget them! Legendary acting teacher Uta Hagen and Arthur Hill originated the roles.

From L-R Hagen & Hill, Taylor & Burton, Morton & Letts

Babs to direct !!!

The other Babs is going to direct her first film in 16 years.

Showbiz411 has reported that singer/actor/director Barbra Streisand has agreed to direct “Skinny and Cat”, her first film since “The Mirror Has Two Faces” in 1996.

A love story about author Erskine Caldwell and photojournalist Margaret Bourke White, officially attached to star are Colin Firth and Cate Blanchett.  Linda Yellen is producing from a screenplay she wrote. Yellen’s producing credits include the landmark tele-movies, “Playing for Time” and “Second Serve” both which featured stunning performances from Vanessa Redgrave. Her writing credits though have a different quality, she was responsible for the Royal biopics “William & Katherine: A Royal Romance” and “The Royal Romance of Charles & Diana” – Yikes!!!!

Erskine Caldwell wrote about poverty, racism and social problems in his native South his most famous novels being Tobacco Road and God’s little Acres. Margaret Bourke White is best known as the first foreign photographer permitted to take pictures of Soviet Industry, the first female war correspondent and the first female photographer for Life magazine. She has been portrayed on screen in the past by actresses Farrah Fawcett and Candice Bergen.

A famous image of Margaret Bourke White photographing the Chrysler Building for Life Magazine.

This sure is an intriguing project for Babs let’s hope she gets this one right. She has a lot on her plate right now – an upcoming film release with Seth Rogan “The Guilt Trip”, her Back To Brooklyn sold out concerts and a proposed star turn as Mama Rose in a film remake of the musical “Gypsy”.

Busy Babs!!!

Glee, Spiderman (the musical) and Carrie (not the musical).

OK

So Babs is a Gleek, was a tad obssesed about Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark (in earlier days) and – well what more can he say about CARRIE?

more it seems…..

Well I thought I might give up on the Carrie obsession for a while but some news has cropped up that I cannot ignore.

A rumoured remake of the classic film of the Stephen King novel “Carrie” directed by the brilliant (at times) Brian DePalma has been on the radar for a little while. Now comes a tweet on a casting choice to go along with the director and writer attached. Babs is intrigued.

Kimberly Pierce is to direct – she of the acclaimed “Boys Don’t Cry” (another tortured female saga).

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is writing the screenplay he is a producer on “Glee,” and recently re-worked the Broadway tuner “Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark”, after the dismissal of Julie Taymor.

And who may be the next Carrie?

Chloe Moretz –  she of “Kick Ass”, “Let Me In” & the recent Scorcese film “Hugo” – the best thing about that film I say!

“Thank you Kim Pierce and thank u MGM for the chance of a lifetime!” Moretz tweeted this Tuesday.

I don’t think the film should be remade, but if it is to be done then perhaps the right people are gathering to at least make a decent attempt at it.

Moretz can next be seen opposite Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer in Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows.” She sure makes some interesting and edgy career choices.

Babs can’t wait to see who will be cast as Margaret White (Carrie’s mum) – Charlize Theron anyone?

Cinema’s original Carrie White – Sissy Spacek.

Meryl you are a witch???

No I am not complaining about my disappointment in Meryl Streep’s Oscar win last week for “The Iron Lady“.

This post is much more of a delight.

Meryl Streep is rumoured to be cast as the Witch in a film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway musical “Into The Woods”. The film is to be directed by Rob Marshall who brought “Chicago” to the screens successfully (in box office terms-not artistic) but we must remember he is also responsible for bringing “Nine” to the screen which was a disaster (box office and artistically!) I do love his TV remake of “Annie” that was a success in my own opinion.

But there is more rumour-mongering about Meryl as the Witch…..

The Public Theatre’s Shakespeare In The Park Festival are mounting an outdoor production of the Sondheim musical this July and rumoured to play the Witch is none other than the reigning Oscar Queen Meryl. Is this an audition?

I am a big fan of this show and was very very lucky to see the original Broadway production way back in 1987 – Bernadette Peters played the Witch and she was fabulous. Of the course the role to steal the show belongs to the Baker’s Wife. Who will be cast in that coveted role? Joanna Gleason won the Tony that year and she was also fabulous! I recall turning to my partner and said – “she will win the Tony, not Peters!”

Brilliant Bernadette Peters – the original Witch of the woods.

In the meanwhile…..

Sondheim has announced that he is collaborating on a new musical with playwright David Ives who is currently represented on Broadway with the hit show “Venus In Fur” – of which Babs has on his list of “shows to see” when he is in town in May.

He has apparently written 20-30 minutes of the piece and says of it – “Having spent the better part of four years writing two books [Finishing the Hat and Look I Made a Hat], I’m really rusty,” Sondheim humbly said of his process. “I sit at the piano and think, ‘Where’s middle C?’ Any muscles, as you know, atrophy when you don’t use them, and I haven’t been using my musical muscles.”

Who cares? Any thought of another Sondheim musical certainly gets my muscles into action. I am so excited about this.

And what does he say about Streep the Witch? Sondheim neither confirms nor denies the rumours. “We will see,” the composer said. “I think she’d be great.”

My hero Stephen Sondheim.

Nina Arianda & Hugh Dancy star in David Ive’s “Venus In Fur”.

And the Oscar doesn’t go to…..

The Artist is a film that I enjoyed but I didn’t really understand all the awards attention it garnered including the Best Picture Oscar.

I thought I would look back at some other films (from the 70’s till today) that won the top award, and in my opinion did not deserve the honour.

1975

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (it was the year of Nashville – need I say more?)

1976

ROCKY (same year as Taxi Driver)

1980

ORDINARY PEOPLE (same year as Raging Bull)

1982

GANDHI (Tootsie was a gem that year)

1990

DANCES WITH WOLVES  (Marty loses again with Goodfellas)

1994

FORREST GUMP (bests Pulp Fiction)

1996

THE ENGLISH PATIENT (how can one ever forget Fargo)

2001

A BEAUTIFUL MIND (the year of Gosford Park)

2005

CRASH (crashed the party for Brokeback Mountain)

2010

THE KING’S SPEECH (when is Fincher’s turn? – the year of The Social Network)