Discland
edited by Jonathan Doyle
Cloverfield [BLU-RAY] (Paramount Home Entertainment, 6.3.2008) Disguised under deliberately goofy, yet deliciously edible-sounding, aliases such as Cheese and Slusho, Matt Reeves' Cloverfield was produced and rushed into theaters under an equally appetizing shroud of secrecy. From last year's incredibly elusive Super Bowl ad to the film's viral marketing campaign, Cloverfield had everybody scratching their heads and drooling in anticipation. Aside from the as-yet untitled title and the Blair Witch-ian visual style, the film's biggest appeal was the enigmatic creature who was last (un)seen hurling the decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty onto the crowded streets of New York City. All we knew about the mysterious beast was that it was big and angry. Now that the highy-anticipated project has come and gone, one question has fortunately been answered: Cloverfield was a major success. (continued)

"Dirty" Movie

As long as I'm bumming scripts, I may as well scout around also for Joshua James' adaptation of Peter Biskind's "Down and Dirty Pictures," which is apparently going to be shooting soon under the aegis of director Kenneth Bowser, producer Kevin Scott Frakes and PalmStar Entertainment.

The finished film will almost certainly fail, of course. Any film produced by a company named "Palm Star Entertainment," trust me, hasn't a snowball's chance in hell of being even half-tolerable. (The conjunction of the words "palm" and "star" assures ostentation and cluelessness.) In a column posted yesterday Fox News 411's Roger Friedman said it was politically doomed as well.

The "Down and Dirty" project was first announced in a Variety story in August 2006.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on March 28, 2008 at 12:34 PM

comment #1

George Prager [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

Since the role of John Belushi in the film version of WIRED.
I guess I read that book. Can hardly remember it. How can they make a movie out of it? It's like making a film dramatization of the SOUTH BEACH DIET.

Posted by George Prager [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 28, 2008 01:09 PM

comment #2

A.H. [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

People were making independent movies long before a bunch of Johnny-come-latelys appeared and coined the ridiculous term "indie". Navel gazing about said Johnny-come-latelys sounds incredibly tedious and boring.

Posted by A.H. [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 28, 2008 01:16 PM

comment #3

MikeSchaeferSF [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

Well, the guy who plays "Harvey" on Entourage hasn't been blacklisted, has he?

And it took 10 or 12 years, but Michael Chiklis finally recovered from playing Belushi in Wired. Of course, that was an awful movie regardless.

Posted by MikeSchaeferSF [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 28, 2008 01:19 PM

comment #4

JayMaloneyJr [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

Jeff
I've got the script at the office: you still need it? In return can you dismiss BurmaShave from the board for good?

Posted by JayMaloneyJr [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 28, 2008 08:07 PM

comment #5

btwnproductions [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

Enjoyed the book, which got its share of good reviews. But a feature film is a terrible idea.

Posted by btwnproductions [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 28, 2008 08:32 PM

comment #6

Joel [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

I didn't know the book was panned; I thought it was interesting. What about it was so unfair/unkind?

I hate it when journalists drop little nuggets like that like they are established fact.

Posted by Joel [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 28, 2008 09:48 PM

comment #7

Josh Massey [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

"Critically panned, much-loathed, bitter?"

I don't remember any of those being the case. It was a good, fun read, not loathed by many except the subjects.

Posted by Josh Massey [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 29, 2008 06:59 AM

comment #8

tinkero [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

Here's what was so "loathed" about the book... at least in Roger Friedman's universe... Simply go to the book's appendix...

Friedman is basically exposed to be a total hack of Weinstein's in Biskind's book..

page 410, quoting Dennis Higgins: " There's no one in the pocket (of Harvey) like Roger. It's almost whaddya want him to write? We even got him to say 'The Shipping News' is great!"

I'm not saying I need to see the book into a movie, but at least that's where the crazy negativity comes from...

Posted by tinkero [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 29, 2008 10:25 AM

comment #9

TL [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

I don't remember any of those being the case. It was a good, fun read, not loathed by many except the subjects.

I also recall reading it based on Wells's endorsement....

Posted by TL [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 31, 2008 02:19 PM

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