I Am Link

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--- Her Again - This is the fiftieth movie that Natalie Portman's name has been thrown at in the past few weeks, but now whispers have attached her to being in the running for the lead in Ridley Scott's Alien prequel. I've made it clear in the past that I like her so it's not that, but I think she's a totally wrong direction to go in. An athletic smart brunette is too close to Sigourney, and I think it's best to cast away from her if you're not making a movie for Ripley.

If Gemma Arterton had proven herself to have a personality yet in the 40 movies she's been given the opportunity to so far I would say she was the right direction, at least physically, to go in - I guess she'd been rumored the other week, although I missed that - but seeing as how she has not shown much personality I don't much like her either for it.

--- Bouncing Brody Boy - In a pre-Jennifer's Body world I was pretty indifferent to Adam Brody, but he won me over there so the news that he's won a role in Whit Stillman's movie with Greta Gerwig (prev post) makes me happy. Good for you, Adam. It's gonna be gnarly!

--- Dark Delays - The Guilmero Del Toro produced and Katie Holmes starring Don't Be Afraid of the Dark remake, which has gotten terrific reviews, has become ensnared in some studio b.s. and is being delayed from January to an unspecified future date. Boo, sucka.

--- The Skellington Revue - How great does this sound?

"Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” – the stop-motion masterpiece from director Henry Selick – returns to Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre from Oct. 21 through Oct. 31 but for the first time ever it will do so in “4-D” — that’s Disney 3-D plus special effects in the theater itself, such as wind and fog."

When I saw Roger Corman's The Tingler last month at The Film Forum they pulled out all the stops - besides the legendary wiring of certain seats in the audience to zap your ass in the scary parts there was a skeleton prop that was pulled on a wire above the audience's heads and a trippy sequence where strobed colored lights were flashed across the screen - needless to say, it was all great fun. Perhaps in this era where theaters are trying to reel us in with 3D gimmickry the other old-fashioned showmanship gimmicky will make a return as well? It wouldn't work with everything but for stuff like this is sounds like a blast.

--- Lady Bits - If you want to see Julia Roberts' niece Emma bounding around in her underpants on the set of Scream 4, then click here. I don't know what you're looking for that sort of thing here for though! I'll stick with her poppa (when he was young, at least).

--- The Big Boos - While Miss Stacie Ponder's countdown of reader-voted favorite horror films continues, she took the time to show us her own list of her favorite 20 horror films. And she's still putting off writing about Martyrs! STACIEEEEEEEE!!! Ya killin' me, woman. But a great idiosyncratic list all the same.

--- Pod Peopled - Abel Ferrara's 1993 Body Snatchers is woefully underrated - Remember Billy Wirth? Mmmm... - so I was happy to see Pax give it some love at Billy Loves Stu. He's right to pin most of its greatness on Meg Tilly's deeply unsettling performance.

What I think works so well about the film is how is uses the metaphor of the body snatchers - because this is one of them horror stories that's always deeply, obviously metaphorical - for the integration of two broken families and the distrust that relatable situation always breeds. I find that part of the film even more interesting than the military aspect, which gets the majority of the attention. Anyway, good movie.

--- Hi Ho Hi Ho - When are we gonna see more from Tarsem's next movie, Immortals? The one that has Henry Cavill looking like this and fighting with Kellan Lutz in this costume? Because I'd like some more of that please. Anyway Tarsem's maybe gonna make a Snow White movie next, says Vulture. I can't wait to see what tiny strapping outfit the Woodsman is put in.

--- Suck On This - Because Clint Eastwood is very very old and his ideas are carbon-dated, he's making a movie about J. Edgar Hoover that only hints at his homosexuality. Wouldn't want to be too explicit about that and smear that glorious man's character or anything! Also, fuck you, Clint. At least I won't have to see Leo and Joaquin making out, so there's that positive.
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