THE GOOD NEWS
Movies are cool. Movies about things you liked before they were movies are cooler. Movies about things you liked before they were movies that turned out to be unimaginably shitty, well, aren’t (read, Avatar: The Last Airbender). Instead of waiting until some hotshot director pumps an abomination of a moving picture into your eye holes, crushing your hopes and dreams (read, M. Night Shamylan), I prefer to revel in the uncertain promise of the recently announced upcoming feature film. This week gave me some serious reasons for some seriously imprudent excitement.
Flight of the Conchords to Make the Most Beautiful Film in the Room
Fresh off a stellar soundtrack for a stellar “The Muppets,” New Zealand’s most famous sons, the bespectacled, bewildered overlords of folk-and-joke, Brett McKenzie and Jemaine Clement may be reuniting as Flight of the Conchords for a movie. Well, sort of: “We just need a story,” they told the Hollywood Reporter.
“Ender’s Game” to be Adapted to Film
This week, “Hugo” star Asa Butterfield tweeted that he’ll be starring as the sci-fi universe’s most beloved child soldier. He’ll play Ender Wiggins, strategic wunderkind and Bugger ass-kicking extraordinaire, in a film adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s opus “Ender’s Game.” Hailee Steinfeld of “True Grit,” a tween badass in her own right, will costar, and word on the street is that Harrison Ford is also slated to appear.
HBO Buys the Rights to William Faulkner
On a slightly less hilarious, less spacefaring note, David Milch, the man behind “Deadwood,” has picked up the rights to the collective work of everyone’s favorite Southern Gothic genius, William Faulkner. Famously described as unfilmable, Milch will put up a an HBO miniseries encapsulating all the stream-of-consciousness narrative, miscegenation, and incest. Nothing specific has been announced just yet, but we’re pumped nonetheless.
First Trailer for “The Hobbit” to be Released in December
It was recently announced that the first trailer for “The Hobbit,” due out next year, will come in front of “The Adventures of Tintin,” which is to be released Dec. 23rd. It comes as no big surprise, since the film is produced by “Hobbit” director Peter Jackson. Will it show us anything more than some beautiful New Zealand landscapes, perchance with some voice-over by Cate Blanchett and a rousing score by Howard Shore before cutting to a black screen in which the words “The Hobbit” are flashed as the much smaller release date of Dec. 14 slowly appears below it? Probably not, but it will still make me cry.
THE BAD NEWS
“Pan Am” Will Likely Be Canceled
I (and the five other people who watch this show) was devastated when last week “Pan Am” star Karine Vanasse tweeted that, “Well, we received THE call, #PanAm is only coming back for one more episode after Christmas. But up to the end, we’ll give it our all!” ABC was quick to clarify that the show was not yet canceled, but things seem grim, especially considering that viewers for last Sunday were at a record low. I don’t understand what is wrong with you people. Don’t you love beautiful things?!
Anne McCaffery Dies at 85
Beloved fantasy author Anne McCaffery passed away on Nov. 21 at the age of 85. She was best known for her series “Dragonriders,” which spans over 20 novels—the first one was published in 1968, and the most recent one was published just earlier this year. In her lifetime, McCaffery won both of science fiction’s highest honors, the Hugo and the Nebula, among countless other awards. She will be greatly missed by her fans and the Sci-Fi community.
“Lulu” Still Exists
We checked. Lou Reed and Metallica’s ungodly child from the deepest pits of whatever hell terrible music comes from is still hanging around. This is the sort of stuff that gives me nightmares.