In this morning’s roundup of movie news ‘n’ notes from around the web, Bond’s vacation gets troubling, and Michael Moore steps up for old theaters.
From a classy videogame party in London, Bryan Alexander reports that longtime James Bond producer Michael G. Wilson is worried about the future of his franchise, given the financial woes at MGM that have indefinitely postponed the next installment in the long-running series. It should come as no surprise that Wilson is concerned – or “completely panicked,” says one unnamed observer – and no surprise that the producers would very much like Sony Pictures to be involved, since Sony had the deep pockets required to launch the last two Bond movies, one of which (“Casino Royale,” below) reinvigorated the franchise, the other of which (“Quantum of Solace”) didn’t. The key, some think, is to get a new movie out before five or six years pass since “Quantum,” although Bond has survived six year hiatuses in the past and come back strong. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Christopher Campbell had soured on Michael Moore as a filmmaker, but now the outspoken documentarian has made a move (if not a movie) of which Campbell approves. As the Moore-created Traverse City Film Festival kicks off, the filmmaker says he’s using the tax credit he received from filming “Capitalism: A Love Story” in Michigan to help revitalize old movie houses in Michigan cities like Flint, Davison and Manistee. The move “hits directly at my movie theater-loving heart,” says Campbell. (Cinematical)
Ryan Adams offers his picks for the best of the first half of 2010, and it’s a very European list: “A Prophet” wins most of the big awards, and “The Ghost Writer” and “Fish Tank” do well too, while “Shutter Island” fares best among U.S. films. Even if “A Prophet” were eligible, which it’s not, don’t expect Academy voters to agree. (Awards Daily)
Three film festivals in the northeast are adopting a strength-in-numbers strategy, teaming up in the New England Film Festival Alliance in an attempt to attract sponsorship and funding. Citing “a frail economy” and slow recovery,the Rhode Island International Film Festival, the Woods Hole Film Festival and the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival are now the Alliance … though it’s way too early to tell if it’ll actually have any impact on the finances of the participating festivals. (indieWIRE)
Comic-Con is now ancient history, all of two days old, but David Ehrlich takes a look back with the 2010 Comic-Con Awards. Understand, these awards are distinctly tongue-in-cheek: the “Best Reason to Wear 3D Glasses” may be “Drive Angry 3D,” but the runner-up is “they’re the last line of defense between you and a pen to the eye.” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” “Cowboys & Aliens” and Sylvester Stallone’s butt get kudos in the awards. “Thor,” “Let Me In,” and M. Knight Shyamalan do not. (Cinematical)
And in another look back at the goings-on in San Diego, Steve “Frosty” Weintraub rhapsodizes about one of the greatest uses of 3D he’s ever seen: “Jackass 3D.” His description of the awesomest 3D scene ever – it involves a port-o-pottie, an industrial strength bungie cord, and Steve-O – makes it clear that this movie is not for the squeamish. As for Frosty, “I haven’t laughed that hard in a very long time … If I could have watched the entire movie that night, I might have declared ‘Jackass 3D’ the best film of the year.” I wonder what he thinks the second-best is. (Collider)
