Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Spider-Man 2.1 Trailered On YouTube
SlashFilm turned up a trailer for Spider-Man 2.1 on YouTube. It was originally captured from the R1 Casino Royale DVD.
You can clearly see in this trailer how the sequence between Hal Sparks and Tobey Maguire in the elevator is very different...
And somewhat inferior, I feel. Ah, well. I'll still be queuing up for this one right away.
You can clearly see in this trailer how the sequence between Hal Sparks and Tobey Maguire in the elevator is very different...
And somewhat inferior, I feel. Ah, well. I'll still be queuing up for this one right away.
Labels: casino royale, dvd, sam raimi, spider-man
Download And Keep The Spider-Man 3 Preview Scenes For Yourself
If you 'right click and save', you can download either the 480p or 720p version of the new Spider-Man 3 preview, yours to keep for evermore.
Don't say I never do anything for you.
Don't say I never do anything for you.
Labels: james franco, kirsten dunst, rosemary harris, sam raimi, spider-man, tobey maguire, trailers
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Preview Clip Of A Preview Clip Of A Preview Clip Of Spider-Man 3
We're just over a day from a full 6 minute clip of Spider-Man 3 going online - if only for 24 hours. The first preview of that clip, supposedly, is a 1 munte segment to air during Heroes on US TV tomorrow night. Already, though, a 21 second preview of that minute has appeared on YouTube, recorded from Access Hollywood.
Check it out while you still can, or maybe even download it for low-res posterity.
Check it out while you still can, or maybe even download it for low-res posterity.
Labels: heroes, james franco, sam raimi, spider-man, tobey maguire
Friday, February 23, 2007
He Does Whatever A Spider Can
Labels: sam raimi, spider-man, thomas haden church, tobey maguire
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Venom Rears His Ugly Head
Here's the latest on Spider-Man 3, and as usual, this contains a fair amount of spoilers. Confirmed spoilers, at that, coming from one source near the production and verified with at least two more. Just about the entire film has been discussed here at film ick at some time or another, so by clicking on Spider-man in the tags at the bottom of this post you should be able to find an answer for just about any Spider-Man 3 question you have.
Here, though, are a few more interesting bits and pieces, including some shocking Venom business and even a little tiny bit about Carnage. Enjoy.
What role does Dr. Connors have this time?
It's in his class that Peter and Gwen Stacey (Bryce Dallas Howard, soon to reteam with Shyamalan) are first brought together. Later, he takes a look at Peter's black costume and this is when we see lots of his lizardy research material around the lab - not so much a set-up for part 4 as an injoke for the fans.
Who gets the job at the Bugle that Peter and Eddie Brock are competing for?
Peter proves that Eddie has been doctoring photos of Spider-Man and as a result, Eddie gets fired. This is during Peter's black-suit phase.
Does Peter dump a load of water on the Sandman to beat him in the final battle?
No - Sandman gets washed away in a much earlier fight, shortly after the symbiote has attached itself to Peter. Sandman actually stands down in the final battle.
Who lives, who dies?
Well, there's a lot of misinformation about this, even close to the production, but I can now confirm that Sandman, Aunt May, Mary Jane and Gwen all live, while Eddie Brock and Harry die. The symbiote survives too, an alien parasite all alone, left looking for a new host. Surely this leaves the Spider-Man team cornered? Surely this means Carnage must appear in a future film?
When does Venom first rear his ugly head?
The symbiote is hanging around Central Park, but as for Venom, the recognisbale alien face with all the scary, jagged teeth? Believe it or not, Venom first rears his ugly head when Peter and his Russian landlord get into an argument about rent. That poor Russian guy.
Why does Harry have a change of heart?
Well, at first, he certainly doesn't have a change of heart. Very early on, he has a big fight with Peter - much detailed previously on film ick - and Peter takes a few good knocks before putting Harry down. When Harry comes around, he doesn't have much memory of what has been going on, or of his bitter history with Peter. It all starts coming back to him later, however, when Mary Jane and Peter have a black suit-fuelled tiff and she comes running to Harry for comfort. Harry now hits upon the idea of exploiting his Green Goblin alter ego to approach Mary Jane and manipulate her.
It's Spider-Man's actions in the final battle, risking his life to save Gwen and Mary Jane, that seem to bring Harry round. He gets in the way of one of Venom's attacks to save Peter, and this ends up being the ultimate sacrifice.
So what's the deal with The Sandman?
He's got a criminal history, and yes, it's true, he's the one who killed Ben Parker. He has a wife and a daughter, and the young girl is very ill. Much of the motivation behind the Sandman's actions, right from his very first appearance - and particularly his attempted Armored Truck heist - stem from his daughter's illness and the need to pay for medical treatment. I could get very political about this, but I won't.
Thomas Haden Church is truly superb in the role.
Any criticisms?
There are a few neat coincidences, but most of them aren't too off-putting. The two most notable, I suppose are Gwen Stacey being Peter's study partner and the daughter of police head honcho Captain George Stacey - this makes for some convenient plotting - and Peter's arrival at the Church just when he wishes to get rid of the symbiote, the Church being the very place that this will be possible. Of course, Brock is there too, so that whole sequence might come off as far too convenient. Deus ex machina, sure, but perhaps it's part and parcel of the Spider-Man style.
On the other hand, the film has a lot of depth, takes itself just seriously enough and delivers on the slam-bang action everybody has been hoping for.
Here, though, are a few more interesting bits and pieces, including some shocking Venom business and even a little tiny bit about Carnage. Enjoy.
What role does Dr. Connors have this time?
It's in his class that Peter and Gwen Stacey (Bryce Dallas Howard, soon to reteam with Shyamalan) are first brought together. Later, he takes a look at Peter's black costume and this is when we see lots of his lizardy research material around the lab - not so much a set-up for part 4 as an injoke for the fans.
Who gets the job at the Bugle that Peter and Eddie Brock are competing for?
Peter proves that Eddie has been doctoring photos of Spider-Man and as a result, Eddie gets fired. This is during Peter's black-suit phase.
Does Peter dump a load of water on the Sandman to beat him in the final battle?
No - Sandman gets washed away in a much earlier fight, shortly after the symbiote has attached itself to Peter. Sandman actually stands down in the final battle.
Who lives, who dies?
Well, there's a lot of misinformation about this, even close to the production, but I can now confirm that Sandman, Aunt May, Mary Jane and Gwen all live, while Eddie Brock and Harry die. The symbiote survives too, an alien parasite all alone, left looking for a new host. Surely this leaves the Spider-Man team cornered? Surely this means Carnage must appear in a future film?
When does Venom first rear his ugly head?
The symbiote is hanging around Central Park, but as for Venom, the recognisbale alien face with all the scary, jagged teeth? Believe it or not, Venom first rears his ugly head when Peter and his Russian landlord get into an argument about rent. That poor Russian guy.
Why does Harry have a change of heart?
Well, at first, he certainly doesn't have a change of heart. Very early on, he has a big fight with Peter - much detailed previously on film ick - and Peter takes a few good knocks before putting Harry down. When Harry comes around, he doesn't have much memory of what has been going on, or of his bitter history with Peter. It all starts coming back to him later, however, when Mary Jane and Peter have a black suit-fuelled tiff and she comes running to Harry for comfort. Harry now hits upon the idea of exploiting his Green Goblin alter ego to approach Mary Jane and manipulate her.
It's Spider-Man's actions in the final battle, risking his life to save Gwen and Mary Jane, that seem to bring Harry round. He gets in the way of one of Venom's attacks to save Peter, and this ends up being the ultimate sacrifice.
So what's the deal with The Sandman?
He's got a criminal history, and yes, it's true, he's the one who killed Ben Parker. He has a wife and a daughter, and the young girl is very ill. Much of the motivation behind the Sandman's actions, right from his very first appearance - and particularly his attempted Armored Truck heist - stem from his daughter's illness and the need to pay for medical treatment. I could get very political about this, but I won't.
Thomas Haden Church is truly superb in the role.
Any criticisms?
There are a few neat coincidences, but most of them aren't too off-putting. The two most notable, I suppose are Gwen Stacey being Peter's study partner and the daughter of police head honcho Captain George Stacey - this makes for some convenient plotting - and Peter's arrival at the Church just when he wishes to get rid of the symbiote, the Church being the very place that this will be possible. Of course, Brock is there too, so that whole sequence might come off as far too convenient. Deus ex machina, sure, but perhaps it's part and parcel of the Spider-Man style.
On the other hand, the film has a lot of depth, takes itself just seriously enough and delivers on the slam-bang action everybody has been hoping for.
Labels: bryce dallas howard, kirsten dunst, sam raimi, spider-man, spoilers, thomas haden church, tobey maguire
Friday, February 02, 2007
More On Spider-Man 2.1
Davis DVD have revealed the special features lined up for April's Spider-Man 2.1 DVD and Sam Raimi is notably absent.
There's to be a new introduction from Grant Curtis and Avi Arad; a commentary track with Laura Ziskin and Alvin Sargent - producer and screenwriter, but also husband and wife; a featurette on the editing and FX work necessary to polish this new version up; and, of course, a preview of Spider-Man 3.
Details of the material added back into the film was posted previously on film ick.
There's to be a new introduction from Grant Curtis and Avi Arad; a commentary track with Laura Ziskin and Alvin Sargent - producer and screenwriter, but also husband and wife; a featurette on the editing and FX work necessary to polish this new version up; and, of course, a preview of Spider-Man 3.
Details of the material added back into the film was posted previously on film ick.
Labels: alvin sargent, dvd, sam raimi, spider-man
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Nottingham's Politics
Russel Crowe is to play the Sherrif of Notthingham in... well, in Nottingham, appropriately enough. The film is a thoroughly revisionist retread of the Robin Hood stories, this time with the Sherrif as our protagonist and unruly Robin as the antagonist. What's to say this ends having some (most likely misfiring) critique of the Bush administration woven in? Something about how Robin's heroism is just mythical and how, really, he's just a crook? I wouldn't be surprised one iota. Comparing Bush to Robin Hood is a dangerous game, however, and runs the risk of simply being muddy. We'll see.
The film is now set up to go at Universal, freshly greenlit with a full tank of cash. At other studios Bryan Singer and Sam Raimi were actually attached to direct, but now it seems that both are out of the frame and, odds are, somebody somewhat less interesting will end up in the chair. Of course, one Tony Grisoni rewrite in this could make a very interesting Terry Gilliam project... but I'm not even going to hope.
The film is now set up to go at Universal, freshly greenlit with a full tank of cash. At other studios Bryan Singer and Sam Raimi were actually attached to direct, but now it seems that both are out of the frame and, odds are, somebody somewhat less interesting will end up in the chair. Of course, one Tony Grisoni rewrite in this could make a very interesting Terry Gilliam project... but I'm not even going to hope.
Labels: bryan singer, nottingham, russel crowe, sam raimi, terry gilliam, tony grisoni
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Even More Details Of Spider-Man 3
There are spoilers ahead - just ahead - so be wary.
[EDIT: This is only the first page of Spider-Man spoilers you can read here on film ick. There's plenty more]
Can anybody who knows the Spider-Man comics well enough tell me if this ties in with the printed version of events: I've been told that, in the new movie, Gwen Stacey and Eddie Brock have dated. As far as I can tell, they don't date during the film, the idea is that they have already dated - but is that official continuity?
Indeed, I've been given lots of info about those two characters, how they are treated and what they do in Spider-Man 3. I had another pile of spoilers for you a few days ago, but Aint it Cool beat me to it with almost every detail, but anything I've got left over after their piece, I'll pop in this post.
We'll talk about Ms. Stacey, first of all. Gwen is called upon to introduce Spidey at a the big Spider-Man Day jamboree - we saw stills from this last year, with the kids in costume and all of the balloons and so on, and there's a pretty good look at it to be had in some of the trailers out there now. Gwen actually happens to be Peter's science study partner at this time, but she certainly doesn't know who Spider-Man really is behind the mask: she appears to get the gig of introducing him simply because her dad is Chief of Police. Some girls get all the luck.
One of the most important events in the whole movie happens in this scene: showing off a little, Spidey hangs upside down and actually reprises his famous topsy-turvy kissing technique from the first film, this time with Gwen. I guess this is a Superhero version of all of those popstars pretending to be single so that they don't alienate their fanbase, or those huge Hollywood superstars fibbing about their sexual orientation because while Peter would have to admit that Gwen is very attractive, he is (at this point at least) planning to ask Mary Jane to marry him.
It's when Peter is trying to propose to MJ that Gwen next resurfaces, interrupting his patented geekiness-come-romantic flow. She asks if he has a picture of her kiss with Spider-Man, and frankly, this goes down like a lead balloon with Ms. Watson.
Skip forward in the movie some way, past a lot of black suit shenanigans. Peter and Gwen decide to come by MJ's singing gig - but this is after the symbiote has taken a hold of our hero, so you better be prepared for things to not go well. Peter's all over Gwen, for one thing, and then he upstages Mary Jane - what a braggard! - and then Gwen rushes off in a terrible huff. Love triangles, eh? Who'd have one?
Having two women to save certainly doesn't make Spider-Man's life any easier. In the final battle, Venom and Sandman have both Gwen and Mary Jane, and they're both at extreme risk of a nasty fall. Now, I can't get any confirmation that MJ dies, but I do have a few voices telling me that she lives. What I can say, very confidently, is that Gwen Stacey walks away intact. (Going back to my original source, I was told again that Harry and Aunt May are the only lead character deaths in the film).
After Ms. Stacey is dropped from very, very high building it looks like we're on for the classic death of Gwen scene, and to a point it plays out in an incredibly similar fashion. Look at the panels of the comic book for a clue to some of the shots, in fact - but don't expect that controversial 'Snap' sound effect to make too loud an appearance because this time, her neck doesn't break. Hurrah?
After Gwen is saved here, she tries to kiss Spider-Man again, but Peter's having none of it this time, letting her down gently (pun intended) and swinging off to save the day. Here ends Gwen's arc, really.
So, how about Mr. Brock? What does he get up to?
Well, he's a pretty new recruit to the Daily Bugle's freelance line-up, in this version of events. A decent staff position is coming up and Peter and Eddie appear to be the competing leads for the role. Peter's advantages (he knows where Spider-Man will be, of course, and can even pose for his own pictures) and disadvantages (he won't slur Spider-Man just to climb the greasy pole and he sometimes has to go webslinging instead of shutterbugging) are pretty well established from the earlier films, while Eddie's established here as something of a cheat. He's seen trying to get the upperhand by doctoring pictures and he generally acts like an all-round naughty paparazzo badboy.
After the scene in the belltower (use the tags below to trawl film ick's history of spoilers) and Brock has been splashed with symbiotic splooge, it's Venom we're really dealing with here. He only makes his grand appearance towards the end of the film, after Brock has tracked down Marko and they've formed a Terrible Two (where the other four are, I don't know) in order to make Spider-Man's life misery and, presumably, corner him and kill him. This is when Gwen gets kidnapped (a Brock spurned, and so on) and pretty soon we're into the big smack down.
After Peter has made a lot of clanging noises on the girders at the building site - see my previous post on the final battle royal for more on that - the symbiote suit slinks off of Eddie and makes an attempt to re-symbiotise (ahem) with Peter. Now, I've been told by one reliable source that Brock buys the farm at this point, and another reliable source that he's alive, just a bit bruised, and that he's headed to the clink instead of the grave. I guess I just don't know - and perhaps, just perhaps, nobody does yet with both endings scripted, storyboarded or maybe even shot to give Raimi and crew some options?
All the same, the originator of my new info consolidates my previous findings: Mary Jane Watson does not die, and neither does Gwen Stacey. They're really mixing things up on us here.
I've been promised more soon, so watch this space - add me to your RSS subscriptions or sign up for the daily e-mail newsletter.
Spider-Man 3 (the best film of 2007?) opens pretty much everywhere on May 4th.
[EDIT: This is only the first page of Spider-Man spoilers you can read here on film ick. There's plenty more]
Can anybody who knows the Spider-Man comics well enough tell me if this ties in with the printed version of events: I've been told that, in the new movie, Gwen Stacey and Eddie Brock have dated. As far as I can tell, they don't date during the film, the idea is that they have already dated - but is that official continuity?
Indeed, I've been given lots of info about those two characters, how they are treated and what they do in Spider-Man 3. I had another pile of spoilers for you a few days ago, but Aint it Cool beat me to it with almost every detail, but anything I've got left over after their piece, I'll pop in this post.
We'll talk about Ms. Stacey, first of all. Gwen is called upon to introduce Spidey at a the big Spider-Man Day jamboree - we saw stills from this last year, with the kids in costume and all of the balloons and so on, and there's a pretty good look at it to be had in some of the trailers out there now. Gwen actually happens to be Peter's science study partner at this time, but she certainly doesn't know who Spider-Man really is behind the mask: she appears to get the gig of introducing him simply because her dad is Chief of Police. Some girls get all the luck.
One of the most important events in the whole movie happens in this scene: showing off a little, Spidey hangs upside down and actually reprises his famous topsy-turvy kissing technique from the first film, this time with Gwen. I guess this is a Superhero version of all of those popstars pretending to be single so that they don't alienate their fanbase, or those huge Hollywood superstars fibbing about their sexual orientation because while Peter would have to admit that Gwen is very attractive, he is (at this point at least) planning to ask Mary Jane to marry him.
It's when Peter is trying to propose to MJ that Gwen next resurfaces, interrupting his patented geekiness-come-romantic flow. She asks if he has a picture of her kiss with Spider-Man, and frankly, this goes down like a lead balloon with Ms. Watson.
Skip forward in the movie some way, past a lot of black suit shenanigans. Peter and Gwen decide to come by MJ's singing gig - but this is after the symbiote has taken a hold of our hero, so you better be prepared for things to not go well. Peter's all over Gwen, for one thing, and then he upstages Mary Jane - what a braggard! - and then Gwen rushes off in a terrible huff. Love triangles, eh? Who'd have one?
Having two women to save certainly doesn't make Spider-Man's life any easier. In the final battle, Venom and Sandman have both Gwen and Mary Jane, and they're both at extreme risk of a nasty fall. Now, I can't get any confirmation that MJ dies, but I do have a few voices telling me that she lives. What I can say, very confidently, is that Gwen Stacey walks away intact. (Going back to my original source, I was told again that Harry and Aunt May are the only lead character deaths in the film).
After Ms. Stacey is dropped from very, very high building it looks like we're on for the classic death of Gwen scene, and to a point it plays out in an incredibly similar fashion. Look at the panels of the comic book for a clue to some of the shots, in fact - but don't expect that controversial 'Snap' sound effect to make too loud an appearance because this time, her neck doesn't break. Hurrah?
After Gwen is saved here, she tries to kiss Spider-Man again, but Peter's having none of it this time, letting her down gently (pun intended) and swinging off to save the day. Here ends Gwen's arc, really.
So, how about Mr. Brock? What does he get up to?
Well, he's a pretty new recruit to the Daily Bugle's freelance line-up, in this version of events. A decent staff position is coming up and Peter and Eddie appear to be the competing leads for the role. Peter's advantages (he knows where Spider-Man will be, of course, and can even pose for his own pictures) and disadvantages (he won't slur Spider-Man just to climb the greasy pole and he sometimes has to go webslinging instead of shutterbugging) are pretty well established from the earlier films, while Eddie's established here as something of a cheat. He's seen trying to get the upperhand by doctoring pictures and he generally acts like an all-round naughty paparazzo badboy.
After the scene in the belltower (use the tags below to trawl film ick's history of spoilers) and Brock has been splashed with symbiotic splooge, it's Venom we're really dealing with here. He only makes his grand appearance towards the end of the film, after Brock has tracked down Marko and they've formed a Terrible Two (where the other four are, I don't know) in order to make Spider-Man's life misery and, presumably, corner him and kill him. This is when Gwen gets kidnapped (a Brock spurned, and so on) and pretty soon we're into the big smack down.
After Peter has made a lot of clanging noises on the girders at the building site - see my previous post on the final battle royal for more on that - the symbiote suit slinks off of Eddie and makes an attempt to re-symbiotise (ahem) with Peter. Now, I've been told by one reliable source that Brock buys the farm at this point, and another reliable source that he's alive, just a bit bruised, and that he's headed to the clink instead of the grave. I guess I just don't know - and perhaps, just perhaps, nobody does yet with both endings scripted, storyboarded or maybe even shot to give Raimi and crew some options?
All the same, the originator of my new info consolidates my previous findings: Mary Jane Watson does not die, and neither does Gwen Stacey. They're really mixing things up on us here.
I've been promised more soon, so watch this space - add me to your RSS subscriptions or sign up for the daily e-mail newsletter.
Spider-Man 3 (the best film of 2007?) opens pretty much everywhere on May 4th.
Labels: sam raimi, spider-man, spoilers
Saturday, January 20, 2007
David Koepp On, Sam Raimi Off? Sony Start Making Plans For Spider-Man 4
ComingSoon sez: David Koepp is in talks to write Spider-Man 4. This suggest to me that they're having to plan on moving ahead without Sam Raimi.
Any Raimi-directed fourth episode would likely be scripted by Alvin Sargent, his collaborator on 2 and 3, and possibly plotted out by Raimi and his brother Ivan as per this year's installment. I honestly believe that Koepp wouldn't get a look in.
So, do ComingSoon have it wrong? Or is Raimi leaving the Spider-Man series?
[EDIT: As I've ben remined, Sargent is married to producer Laura Ziskin, so if this Koepp story does turn out to be true it might well indicate her departure from the series more so than Raimi's]
Any Raimi-directed fourth episode would likely be scripted by Alvin Sargent, his collaborator on 2 and 3, and possibly plotted out by Raimi and his brother Ivan as per this year's installment. I honestly believe that Koepp wouldn't get a look in.
So, do ComingSoon have it wrong? Or is Raimi leaving the Spider-Man series?
[EDIT: As I've ben remined, Sargent is married to producer Laura Ziskin, so if this Koepp story does turn out to be true it might well indicate her departure from the series more so than Raimi's]
Labels: alvin sargent, david koepp, laura ziskin, sam raimi, spider-man
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Gwen Stacy Is Aching
Apparently, Bryce Dallas Howard and Sam Raimi have been having casual talks about teaming up again once Spider-Man 3 is wrapped, this time on The Wee Free Men, an upcoming adaptation of Terry Pratchett's fantasy novel.
This hasn't been confirmed - at all - and only came to me through a visitor to film ick who was brought in by all of my very hot Spider-Man 3 scoopage. This visitor may be having me on - but I'm not sure we should necessarily just assume that they are. It seems like a good idea, for one thing, and it does sound like something Raimi might do, as well as a role that Bryce might be interested in. Or, possibly, pair of roles, in fact.
The key part she would be playing is that of Tiffany Aching, a neophyte Witch who teams up with hordes of six-inch tall, blue-skinned highlanders (think Braveheart by way of The Smurfs) to battle a deluge of magical monsters. The other role is the ring leader of these enchanted beasties, an Evil Elf Queen. Possibly - just possibly - this might be a piece of split casting, with the same actress in both roles - if there's a script out there, it might contain some kind of confirmation, but I haven't managed to get my hands one, and I doubt there's little more than a treatment at this stage, anyway.
Again, none of this came from a tried source, or a tested one, even. I just liked the sound of it, and I thought you might too.
[EDIT: Seems that Aching is out of the question - being only 9 years old or so - but the Evil Elf Queen is still a possibility]
This hasn't been confirmed - at all - and only came to me through a visitor to film ick who was brought in by all of my very hot Spider-Man 3 scoopage. This visitor may be having me on - but I'm not sure we should necessarily just assume that they are. It seems like a good idea, for one thing, and it does sound like something Raimi might do, as well as a role that Bryce might be interested in. Or, possibly, pair of roles, in fact.
The key part she would be playing is that of Tiffany Aching, a neophyte Witch who teams up with hordes of six-inch tall, blue-skinned highlanders (think Braveheart by way of The Smurfs) to battle a deluge of magical monsters. The other role is the ring leader of these enchanted beasties, an Evil Elf Queen. Possibly - just possibly - this might be a piece of split casting, with the same actress in both roles - if there's a script out there, it might contain some kind of confirmation, but I haven't managed to get my hands one, and I doubt there's little more than a treatment at this stage, anyway.
Again, none of this came from a tried source, or a tested one, even. I just liked the sound of it, and I thought you might too.
[EDIT: Seems that Aching is out of the question - being only 9 years old or so - but the Evil Elf Queen is still a possibility]
Labels: bryce dallas howard, sam raimi, spider-man, wee free men
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