Recently read the script for this upcoming thriller about a couple that adopts a little girl with a BIG SECRET. Not much to discuss without giving away the BIG SECRET, which isn't too hard to figure out, but I can say that "Orphan" manages to push some effective buttons along the way. Plays on a lot of parental fears. The sight of kids doing bad things will have some folks squirming in their seats.
I do think the story hinges too much on the twist. Once we discover the BIG SECRET -- through a rather boring piece of exposition -- there's a mad dash to wrap everything up in a neat little bow (ha-ha). It's a cool idea that'll make you go, 'Why didn't I think of that?' "Orphan" could go either way at the box office -- will definitely be a classic on cable. The release date suggests that the studio thinks its a winner. Really curious to see if it clicks with audiences, especially Moms.
Orphan
Blade
Spidey gets all the credit, but it was really an obscure C-level character that jump-started the comic book movie renaissance -- honestly, I'm not so sure that was a such good thing these days. It was a perfect storm of martial arts, blaxploitation, horror, electronica and comic book sensibilities. There was something for everyone. The "Blade" and "Underworld" films are what really inspired me to take a crack at a genre mash-up script. Some of the effects, especially in the third act, look especially dated, but it's still a fun romp. 
I'm not buying those recent reports that reference a blurb from 2008, about a Deacon Frost prequel/trilogy directed by Stephen Norrington. Cool character, but who the heck is clamoring for a Deacon Frost movie!? If you're out there, speak up!
These days vampires are all sparkly in daylight, go to high school and some don't even feed on humans!? Makes me sick to my stomach. There was talk about a Blade reboot a while back, I just hope they come up with a good story. If anyone's interested, I have an idea...
[REC] vs. Quarantine
Virtually the same -- except for the whole Spanish/English thing. [REC] has a supernatural explanation that I liked a lot more than the virus gone wild angle used in "Quarantine" -- truthfully, neither makes a lick of sense. There's some smart filmmaking going on here. They found an interesting way to exploit a well-worn sub-genre: Blair Witch/Cloverfield meets typical zombie flick. I usually don't go ga-ga over zombie films, but I found these two entertaining.
Blood: The Last Vampire
I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to action/horror flicks like "Blade", "Hellboy" and "Underworld" -- I'll even cop to watching "Van Helsing" on more than one occasion, so obviously I'm gonna flip for a movie about a hot, brooding vampire slayer who takes out vamps with her trusty samurai sword, right? Eh, not so much...
While the film tries admirably to capture/expand on the short anime that it's based on, the result is mostly flat. Especially the dramatic scenes -- Come on, Scream! This isn't supposed to be "Memoirs of a Geisha"! Are the action scenes original and kick ass? Hmm...
Look familiar?
Saya hunts Chiropterans -- let's just call them vampires, but she's really after a specific vamp for clichéd reasons that we'll learn as the story predictably unfolds. One of her missions winds up leaving a "loose end" named Alice. Saya's forced to protect Alice from the vamps who want her dead, as well as the human "cleaners" that she works with. 
Not a total train wreck, "Blood" does have its moments (like the goofy afro vampire fight above), but too often becomes weighed down by the cheesy and uninspired. I've seen better monsters on "Dr. Who". Basically, the film couldn't compete visually with the anime, especially with a modest 35 million dollar budget. The expanded story didn't do it any favors either. There's a twist near the end that Helen Keller and Ray Charles could've seen coming a mile away. I also question the sequence where the antagonist has the obligatory villain monologue in English and not in her more comfortable native tongue (with English subtitles). Finally, I can't think of a film that ends with a more forced line of dialogue. The lesson here? Less is more. Watch the anime, wait for this on DVD -- which will probably be sooner than later.
Animated Buffy
Kind of a cheat for Throwback Thursdays, because it never became a reality. But it would have been fascinating to explore a Buffyverse limited only by the imagination of the writers. Yeah, there's a Buffy comic but it's not the same thing.
Deal Breaker?
So Kirk Acevedo is off "Fringe" and Meghan Markle joins the cast -- used to be one of the "Deal or No Deal" show-models -- as a junior FBI agent. Charlie was the skeptic. He didn't buy into the crazy theories, just did his job. Kinda like Skinner on "X-Files". Might screw up the dynamic. I also read that a slew of new writers are being brought in. Just when the show had started to find its legs....
"Mutant Chronicles" is exactly what you'd expect from a sci-fi zombie movie. Decent cast -- I didn't get the Pras from the Fugees cameo. Apparently, John Malkovich will agree to *any* script thrown in his direction.... maybe I should get his contact info! Simple, silly story. Struggles when it tries to go beyond the limited budget. Murky shadows and digital blood splatter can only go so far. I think plans for a theatrical release fell through.
Stuck in the mud with the new script -- okay, stuck is the wrong word. I have options, I just don't like any of 'em. Think I'll work on something else until inspiration strikes. I have an idea for a low budget thriller that I'd like to get off the ground anyway. By hook or by crook, I'm gonna start and finish two scripts this year.
