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Tag: david-cronenberg

New ‘Crimes of the Future’ Trailer

(L to R) Kristen Stewart and Léa Seydoux in David Cronenberg’s ‘Crimes of the Future.’ Photo courtesy of Neon.

“Surgery is the new sex.” If anything would alert you to the fact that ‘Crimes of the Future’ is the latest film from Canadian body horror icon David Cronenberg, it might be that line from the movie’s new trailer.

Yet it would be impossible to think anyone else made this new movie, which has Cronenberg’s stamp all over it. Honestly, where else are you going to see Léa Seydoux slicing open someone’s chest and licking a wound? Not in the deleted scenes for ‘No Time to Die’, that’s for sure (unless Cary Fukunaga took the Bond franchise in some truly odd directions before the producers intervened).

Cronenberg’s latest stars Seydoux, Viggo Mortensen (a regular Cronenberg collaborator who seems to have found something of a kindred spirit in the director), Kristen Stewart, Scott Speedman and Don McKellar, in a startling story of body modification and human evolution.

Here’s the basics: in a not-so-distant future, humankind is learning to adapt to its synthetic surroundings. Their biological makeup changed, many humans have adapted to life with “Accelerated Evolution Syndrome” thanks partly to specialized equipment that aids in everything from eating to sleeping.

Beloved performance artist Saul Tenser (Mortensen) sleeps in a womb-like bed suspended in mid-air. The OrchidBed, as it’s called, comes complete with software to anticipate, and adjust his every bodily need.

The machine even detects the growth of new organs, which Saul’s creative partner Caprice (Seydoux) can observe and tattoo in his personal operating theatre. Together, Saul and Caprice have turned the discovery and removal of these new body organs into performance art, via sold-out voyeuristic surgical shows using a sarcophagus-like machine where the surgeries take place.

These human evolutionary changes do not receive universal positivity. Before long, a new secret government entity is established – the National Organ Registry, led by bureaucrats Wippet (McKellar) and Timlin (Stewart) – to discreetly track new organ growths, with particular enthusiasm for Saul’s artistic anomalies.

With increased scrutiny on the syndrome and therefore his art, Saul is forced to consider what would be his most shocking performance of all.

Cronenberg has had quite the history with this one… “I wrote this script for ‘Crimes of the Future’ in around 1998, 99, so it’s over twenty years old and there were a couple of attempts to get it made and for various reasons it didn’t get financed.,” he explains. “That happens, that’s not unusual, but it was only when the producer Robert Lantos phoned me and said, ‘You know, have you looked at your old scripts,’ and I said, ‘Because of its science-fiction technology core, I’m sure it’s completely irrelevant now.’ And he said ‘No, you should re-read it, it’s more relevant than ever.’ I thought that’s a good line, and I read it and I thought he was right.”

Cannes audiences will see the movie this month when it premieres as part of the Film Festival’s Official Selection. It’ll arrive in theaters on June 3rd.

Viggo Mortensen in David Cronenberg’s ‘Crimes of the Future.’ Photo courtesy of Neon.

(L to R) Viggo Mortensen and Léa Seydoux in David Cronenberg’s ‘Crimes of the Future.’ Photo courtesy of Neon.

(L to R) Léa Seydoux and Viggo Mortensen in David Cronenberg’s ‘Crimes of the Future.’ Photo courtesy of Neon.

Scott Speedman in David Cronenberg’s ‘Crimes of the Future.’ Photo courtesy of Neon.

(L to R) Léa Seydoux, Viggo Mortensen, and Kristen Stewart in David Cronenberg’s ‘Crimes of the Future.’ Photo courtesy of Neon.
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May 6, 2022
First Teaser for David Cronenberg’s ‘Crimes of the Future’

(L to R) Léa Seydoux, Viggo Mortensen, and Kristen Stewart in David Cronenberg’s ‘Crimes of the Future.’ Photo courtesy of Neon.

When you know that a movie is “from the mind of David Cronenberg”, that’s a giant sign to expect, usually, at least, a whole lot of weirdness.

Because while he has made the gritty likes of ‘Eastern Promises’ and ‘A History of Violence’, his more regular stock-in-trade is body horror, striking visions, and unique characters. So, the teaser for ‘Crimes of the Future’ offers plenty of that.

Cronenberg’s latest, which is part of this year’s Cannes official selection, stars Viggo Mortensen (a regular Cronenberg collaborator who seems to have found something of a kindred spirit in the director), Kristen Stewart, Léa Seydoux, Scott Speedman and Don McKellar, in a startling story of body modification and human evolution.

Though this brief teaser is more focused on tone than plot, the official synopsis does at least offer some illumination…

“In a not-so-distant future, humankind is learning to adapt to its synthetic surroundings. Their biological makeup changed; many humans have adapted to life with ‘Accelerated Evolution Syndrome’ thanks partly to specialized equipment that aids in everything from eating to sleeping.

Beloved performance artist Saul Tenser (Mortensen) sleeps in a womb-like bed suspended in mid-air. The OrchidBed, as it’s called, comes complete with software to anticipate, and adjust his every bodily need. The machine even detects the growth of new organs, which Saul’s creative partner Caprice (Seydoux) can observe and tattoo in his personal operating theatre.

Together, Saul and Caprice have turned the discovery and removal of these new body organs into performance art, via sold-out voyeuristic surgical shows using a sarcophagus-like machine where the surgeries take place.

These human evolutionary changes do not receive universal positivity. Before long, a new secret government entity is established – the National Organ Registry – to discreetly track new organ growths, with particular enthusiasm for Saul’s artistic anomalies. With increased scrutiny on the syndrome and therefore his art, Saul is forced to consider what would be his most shocking performance of all…”
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And that’s just the tip of a very weird iceberg, which also promises a group looking to push the boundaries of what human bodies can do.

Cronenberg described the new movie in his own words:

“It’s a meditation on human evolution. Specifically – the ways in which we have had to take control of the process because we have created such powerful environments that did not exist previously.

This is an evolution of things I have done before. Fans will see key references to other scenes and moments from my other films. That’s a continuity of my understanding of technology as connected to the human body.

Technology is always an extension of the human body, even when it seems to be very mechanical and non–human. A fist becomes enhanced by a club or a stone that you throw – but ultimately, that club or stone is an extension of some potency that the human body already has.

At this critical junction in human history, one wonders – can the human body evolve to solve problems we have created? Can the human body evolve a process to digest plastics and artificial materials not only as part of a solution to the climate crisis, but also, to grow, thrive, and survive?”

So now you know. As mentioned, ‘Crimes of the Future’ will have its world premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, ahead of a June release in theaters.
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April 14, 2022
Movie References in The Weeknd’s After Hours You Never Noticed

Since the November 2019 release of the music video “Heartless,” The Weeknd, real name Abel Tesfaye a noted cinephile who has cited David Lynch, David Cronenberg, Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese as inspirations in the past, has crafted a deep cinematic narrative throughout the video elements of his fourth album After Hours. Along with the lyrical and visual narratives of the album itself, which tracks a man dubbed The Weeknd through a bad break-up, a hard look at his hedonistic lifestyle, and in the end some wistful wisdom as he starts to maybe group up a bit, the videos and live appearances to promote the album are also chock full of cinematic references. Take the title itself: After Hours evokes late night clubs, but from a cinematic point of view it immediately brings up visions of Martin Scorsese’s 1985 cult classic of the same name about a word processor named Paul who takes a late night trip to SoHo in New York City and can’t seem to ever get himself back home.

“Blinding Lights” (left) and ‘After Hours’ (right)

Much like Paul, the videos find a man dubbed The Character (played of course by The Weeknd) in an endless journey through the darker parts of himself – and through a myriad of film references.

“HEARTLESS”

“Heartless” (left) and ‘Casino’ (right)

The Weeknd debuted his now signature red suit in the video for “Heartless,” directed by Anton Tammi, which itself is a reference to a suit worn by Robert De Niro in Scorsese’s 1995 film ‘Casino’. The video, shot in Las Vegas, features The Character and a friend (played by Metro Boomin) as they gallivant around Sin City, stumbling in a drug-induced haze like Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro in Terry Gilliam’s 1998 adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s 1971 novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. He even worked this stumble into his performance at the Super Bowl LV Halftime Show.

“BLINDING LIGHTS”

“Blinding Lights” (left) and ‘Blade Runner’ (right)

The video for his next single “Blinding Lights,” also directed by Tammi, there are even more film references. We see The Character steal a car and head back to Los Angeles, where, among other things, he dances in the 2nd Street Tunnel. This landmark of Los Angeles has been featured in countless films, including Ridley Scott’s 1982 film ‘Blade Runner.’ An adaptation of the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick (side note: the author is also referenced in the lyrics of “Snow Child,” with the line “give her Phillip K Dick”), the film is set in Los Angeles in November 2019 – the same month the video was released – and references to it will show up in a later video.

“Blinding Lights” (left) and ‘The Dark Knight’ (right)

Much has been made of The Weeknd’s dancing throughout the promotion of After Hours being reminiscent of Joaquin Phoenix in ‘Joker,’ but in fact these videos are peppered with references to many cinematic Jokers, including the moment in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight,’ where Heath Ledger gleefully hangs his head outside a stolen police car he’s driving.

“Blinding Lights” (left) and ‘Blue Velvet’ (right)

Much of the vibe throughout the music videos and live performances for After Hours have a Lynchian feel to them and in “Blinding Lights,” there is a direct reference to David Lynch’s ‘Blue Velvet,’ where Dennis Hopper’s psychopath Frank Booth watches tormented torch singer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini) croon the titular song. In “Blinding Lights,” The Character is mesmerized by the musical stylings of an unnamed singer played by Miki Hamano, whose voice literally lifts him off the ground.

“Blinding Lights” (left) and ‘Twin Peaks’ (right)

We even get another hint of the Red Room from ‘Twin Peaks;’ in fact much of the eerie instrumental music that accompanies The Weeknd in the moments between videos and throughout the ‘After Hours’ short film have an Angelo Badalamenti vibe to them.

“Blinding Lights” (left) and ‘Joker’ (right)

Perhaps the most obvious reference in the video is his dancing, sometimes in the 2nd Street Tunnel, sometimes elsewhere throughout downtown Los Angeles, appears to be directly lifted from Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker as he dances to Gary Glitter’s “Rock and Roll Part 2” as he makes his way to make his late night debut in Todd Phillips’ ‘Joker.’

AFTER HOURS short film

‘After Hours’ (left) and ‘The King of Comedy’ (right)

The After Hours short film, again directed by Tammi, takes place shortly after The Weeknd’s performance of “Blinding Lights” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The video begins as his set ends, The Character grinning like Rupert Pupkin at the end of Martin Scorese’s ‘The King of Comedy’ – itself a huge influence of Todd Phillips’s ‘Joker.’

‘After Hours’ (left) and ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ (right)

Tesfaye has stated influences on the short film also include Adrian Lyne’s psychological horror film ‘Jacob’s Ladder,’ which includes a scene where Tim Robbins is menaced by unknown forces in an empty subway station, Roman Polanki’s ‘Chinatown’ (the bandage on his nose), Claire Deni’s ‘Trouble Every Day,’ Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession, and Brian De Palma’s ‘Dressed to Kill.’

“IN YOUR EYES”

“In Your Eyes” (left) and ‘Dial M for Murder’ (right)

The video with possibly the most film references is “In Your Eyes,” in which The Character wordlessly stalks a young blonde woman à la Michael Myers in John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween.’ The horror movie infused video has nods to everything from Wes Craven’s ‘Scream’ to Dario Argento’s Suspiria to Alfred Hitchcock. At one point the woman takes refuge in a phone booth – à la ‘The Birds’ – and dials for help. Tammi, uses an ultra close-up of the keys, an homage to ‘Dial M For Murder,’ in which Hitchcock blonde Grace Kelly’s husband Ray Milland has hired someone to murder her.

“In Your Eyes” (left) and ‘The Terminator’ (right)

The woman then flees to a club titled After Hours – which uses the exact same lightbulb font as the Tech Noir club in James Cameron’s ‘Terminator,’ an idea that came early in the creative ideation for the video.

“TOO LATE”

“Too Late” (left) and ‘The Neon Demon’ (right)

The horror vibes continue in the video for “Too Late”, directed by Cliqua. After being decapitated at the end of the previous video, The Character’s head is found by two models on the side of the road. The world they inhabit feels akin to Nicholas Winding Refn’s psychological horror film ‘The Neon Demon,’ where the Los Angeles modeling scene is depicted as so bleak the models are literally eating each other alive. Tesfaye is a noted friend of director Refn.

“Too Late” (left) and ‘American Psycho’ (right)

When the two discover that the head belongs to The Weeknd, they concoct a nefarious plan to bring him back to life. Laying newspapers on their floor and donning clear plastic rain gear à la Mary Harron’s adaption of Bret Easton Ellis’s yuppie black comedy American Psycho, the girls lure an unsuspecting male stripper (Ken XY) to their home in order to murder him and place The Character’s head on his body. Spooky.

“SAVE YOUR TEARS”

“Save Your Tears” (left) and ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ (right)

In the most recent video, “Save Your Tears” again directed by Cliqua, The Character is now performing for a masked crowd straight out of Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Eyes Wide Shut.’ After appearing at the American Music Awards with a fully bandaged face like the models, his face has now clearly been marred by plastic surgery (looking quite a bit like Jocelyn Wildenstein aka the Tiger Woman of NYC).

“Save Your Tears” (left) and ‘Batman’ (right)

As the video ends, there is one last Joker reference – this time with Jack Nicholson’s iteration. In the climax of Tim Burton’s ‘Batman,’ he pulls a gun on himself after forcing Vicki Vale (Kim Basigner) to dance with him. Like Nicholson’s Joker, when he pulls the trigger there’s no bullet; The Character’s gun shoots confetti, just like the Joker’s gun pops out a flag.

Since these are just a few of the many references found throughout the music videos for After Hours (and in fact most of his music videos going back a decade), it’s only a matter of time before The Weeknd makes a feature film himself, or at least drops a link to his Letterboxd profile.

February 16, 2021
Here Are 7 Hidden Gems From Your Favorite Horror Directors

It’s easy for horror directors to be pigeonholed. It seems to come with the territory.

If they’ve had success with one film, then that film winds up defining their entire career, whether that filmmaker likes it or not. Sometimes, though, these horror filmmakers make wild attempts with audacious films that, while they might not necessarily connect with audiences, make a big impact on those that see them. Its in this spirit of adventurousness — and coinciding with the imminent release of Shout Factory’s amazing new “Drag Me to Hell” Blu-ray — that we look at lesser known films from some of your favorite horror filmmakers that you might have missed. Just be sure to watch with the lights on.Tobe Hooper

Best Known For: “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974)

Our Recommendation: “The Funhouse” (1981)

Texas-born, Dr. Pepper-loving Tobe Hooper is best remembered for his groundbreaking “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” and for directing at least part of Steven Spielberg‘s “Poltergeist.” But he had a long and varied filmography, from his big budget movies with Cannon Films to his return to independent features towards the end of his career. But our recommendation is 1981’s “The Funhouse.”

It was Hooper’s first studio project and it’s as stunningly beautiful (the cinematography by Andrew Laszlo, who had just come off “The Warriors,” is amazing) as it is deeply scary. The plot concerns a group of teenagers stalked inside a carnival funhouse but that’s just an exclusive for Hooper to pile on the neatly stylized atmospherics and nifty suspense set pieces.Wes Craven

Best Known for: “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984) and “Scream” (1996)

Our Recommendation: “The Serpent and the Rainbow” (1988)

Few horror filmmakers can lay claim to an entire franchise, let alone two huge sensations. But with “Scream” and “Nightmare on Elm Street,” Wes Craven can handily take responsibility for two of the most influential horror series ever. But some of his smaller, less well-received films are also his most interesting.

Case in point, “The Serpent and the Rainbow.” Based on the nonfiction bestseller by Wade Davis, Craven sensationalized and embellished on that original text, amplifying an already horrific tale of zombies and voodoo in the Amazon jungle. Sometimes, this makes things somewhat wobbly, at least on a tonal level, but it’s undeniably gritty, thrilling stuff.John Carpenter

Best Known for: “Halloween” (1978), “The Thing” (1981).

Our Recommendation: “Prince of Darkness” (1987)

John Carpenter is one of our favorite American filmmakers, period. He’s made so many great movies. But one of his most underrated, scariest, and indeed best, is “Prince of Darkness.”

This apocalyptic tale (penned by Carpenter under a pseudonym) follows a group of grad students, scientists, and priests, as they study a vial of otherworldly green goo uncovered in the basement of an ancient church. Weird and deeply unsettling, “Prince of Darkness” goes to some genuinely unexpected places and feels formally adventurous (particularly when it comes to some early found footage-type elements). If you’ve never see it, be prepared — it’ll scare you silly.David Cronenberg

Best Known for: “The Fly” (1986)

Our Recommendation: “The Brood” (1979)

Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg broke through to the mainstream with his witty remake of “The Fly” and had a recent critical resurgence with a series of more traditional (but still Cronenbergian) thrillers. But if you’re looking for something more outré and, indeed, totally scary, then we suggest looking back to “The Brood,” made before he had crossed over.

Made around the time the director was going through a bitter custody battle, “The Brood” is unnerving and unrelenting, with suitably off-the-wall performances by Oliver Reed and a fearless Samantha Eggar (there’s a moment towards the end that she totally owns that will make you go “ewwww”).Gore Verbinski

Best Known for: “The Ring” (2012)

Our Recommendation: “A Cure for Wellness” (2017)

Gore Verbinski has always flirted with the dark side, even when making giant spectacles (see his “Pirates of the Caribbean” films) and is perhaps best remembered for his chilling remake of the Japanese horror phenomenon “The Ring.” But just last year Verbinski returned to the genre and hardly anybody noticed.

“A Cure for Wellness” is long and baroque (you could imagine Vincent Price filling in for Jason Isaacs without issue) but it’s also incredibly rewarding. It’s a singularly visionary, uniquely stylized romp that satirizes our modern obsession with wellness while also tapping into something much more primordial.Sam Raimi

Best Known for: The “Evil Dead” Trilogy (1981, 1987, 1992)

Our Recommendation: “Drag Me to Hell” (2009)

Although he ushered in the modern superhero era with his beloved “Spider-Man” films, Sam Raimi got his start making down-and-dirty horror movies that both scared and delighted in equal measure. So when he got done with the web-slinger, he returned to his roots, completing the delightfully gooey “Drag Me to Hell.” And it flopped.

But already it seems that there is a small but vocal group that considers “Drag Me to Hell” a lost classic (because it is). Smartly adapted for the financial crisis, a young bank worker (Alison Lohman) is cursed by a vengeful gypsy. After that, well, it all goes to hell. You can feel Raimi’s looseness and joy coming through in every frame. He’s so excited to scare an audience again. It’s a blast.George A. Romero

Best Known for: “Night of the Living Dead” (1968)

Our Recommendation: “Monkey Shines” (1988)

When George A. Romero passed away last year, most zeroed in on his zombie films, which served as both socio-political allegories and midnight movie freakouts. But there were a number of fascinating one-offs in his career, some more celebrated than others. “Monkey Shines” is most definitely not all that appreciated, but it’s still scary as hell and very much worth a watch.

The set-up is undeniably goofy (a quadriplegic man develops a psychic and sinister bond with his service monkey) but Romero commits to the premise fully and the slick production (it was Romero’s first studio film) is undeniably impressive. (That David Shire score!) While some last-minute tinkering from the studio robbed the movie of its more moody tone, it’s still scary as hell.

October 22, 2018
Beyond Fest to Welcome David Cronenberg for 13-Film Celebration of His Career

Beyond Fest

Director David Cronenberg will return to Los Angeles for the first time in a decade for “Cronenberg with Cronenberg: A Retrospective of the New Flesh.”

Beyond Fest just announced the 13-film celebration of Cronenberg’s career for the 2018 festival.

Cronenberg will be joined by actors (including Geena Davis, Debbie Harry, Jennifer Jason Leigh), collaborators (including Howard Shore), and guest moderators for three screenings at the Egyptian Theatre.

Saturday, September 29th
“Cronenberg on Cronenberg” opens with an all-day marathon of Cronenberg’s early films, “Shivers,” “Rabid,” “The Brood,” and “Scanners.” That night, Cronenberg will be joined by long-time collaborator Howard Shore for a 30th anniversary screening of “Dead Ringers,” with director Mick Garris moderating a post screening Q&A.

Sunday, September 30th
A double bug bill of “The Fly” and “Naked Lunch” will play. Cronenberg will be joined by “The Fly” star Geena Davis and the composer of both films, Howard Shore.

Monday, October 1st
A double bill of “Videodrome” and “EXistenZ” plays. Cronenberg will be joined by composer Howard Shore, plus actresses Debbie Harry and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Director Leigh Whannell will moderate a Q&A between films.

BONUS

In addition to the Egyptian Theatre screenings, there will also be two double bills at the Aero Theatre:

“A History of Violence” and “Eastern Promises” and “Crash” and “Spider.”

Tickets go on sale starting this Saturday, Sept. 1 at 10 a.m. through Fandango and Cinematheque.

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August 29, 2018
9 Star Wars Movies That You Will Never See

We now live in a world where there’s going to be a new “Star Wars” movie every year for possibly decades to come. But even with that embarrassment of nerd riches, we can’t help but dwell on the Star Wars movies that never were.

From Steven Spielberg‘s “Return of the Jedi” to George Lucas‘s original vision for the sequels to his original trilogy, these are the “Star Wars” movies that never were.

“Star Wars” (1977)

1. “Journal of the Whills”George Lucas had already begun writing “Star Wars” in earnest as early as 1973, but the early drafts bore little resemblance to what fans would actually see on the big screen.

The earliest incarnation of “Star Wars” came in the form of a two-page treatment called “Journal of the Whills,” which revolved around a character named CJ Thorpe, a pupil of “Jedi-Bendu” master Mace Windy. Basically, the treatment featured a bunch of weird names and concepts that Lucas had yet to forge into a real story.

2. “The Star Wars”Eventually, Lucas managed to expand that early treatment into a full script he dubbed “The Star Wars.” The original screenplay features characters like General Luke Skywalker and brothers Deak and Annikin Starkiller. Han Solo and Chewbacca were also present, though at that point Han was envisioned as a reptilian alien (see above). Elements like the Sith Empire and the Death Star were also present in this early draft.

“The Star Wars” evolved over the course of several drafts, with each new iteration bringing the story closer to what fans know today. But for those curious about what might have been, Dark Horse Comics published a 2013 mini-series — cover art above — that adapts the original screenplay.

“The Empire Strikes Back” (1980)

3. Leigh Brackett’s Draft
Not her fourth draft, which many fans have read and debated over at conventions. No, this is the plot from her first draft — and it has very, very little in common with the film we all know and love.

Here, Han Solo goes in search of his father-in-law, Ovan Marekal, who has political ties with Darth Vader. Luke still goes to Dagobah, but here, it’s just “the Bog Planet.” And instead of meeting Yoda, he meets a frog-like Jedi named Minch, who teaches our favorite intergalactic farm boy the ways of the Force.

In 1978, Lucas gave the screenwriter a shot to write the then-untitled sequel. He hired her based on her promising and prolific work as a science fiction author. (That explains the very prose-y way the script reads.) Brackett would never get to see how the final film turned out; she died one year after she turned in her script.

“Return of the Jedi” (1983)

4. The Early Lucas/Kasdan DraftsWhile it’s not clear exactly how many revisions the “Return of the Jedi” screenplay went through during pre-production, over the years both Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan have revealed many major and minor edits that were made.

Early on, the duo had to account for the very real possibility that Harrison Ford might not return. At one point, the film featured an early death for Han and didn’t include Yoda at all. Early drafts also featured Wookiees in place of Ewoks, the resurrection of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a spaghetti Western-worthy denouement as Luke walks sadly into the sunset instead of partying it up on Endor.

5. Steven Spielberg or David Lynch’s “Return of the Jedi”Even after Lucas and Kasdan completed their screenplay, there was a great deal of uncertainty as to who would actually direct the film. At varying points, Lucas approached David Lynch (who opted for for rival space fantasy film “Dune” instead), David Cronenberg (who did the same for “Videodrome“) and even Steven Spielberg.

We can’t help but wonder how a Spielberg-directed “Episode VI” might have turned out. Would it still be considered the weak point of the Original Trilogy?

“The Force Awakens” (2015)

6. Lucas’ Sequel Trilogy
Lucas has given conflicting reports over the decades as to whether he ever planned to continue his “Star Wars” saga beyond the events of “Return of the Jedi.” But when he sold the franchise to Disney in 2012, Lucas reportedly handed over story treatments for “Episodes VII,” “VIII” and “IX.” Little is known about the content of those treatments, other than the fact that Disney elected not to make use of them.

Novelist Timothy Zahn offered probably the closest glimpse into Lucas’ plans for the sequel trilogy, saying “The original idea as I understood it — and Lucas changes his mind off and on, so it may not be what he’s thinking right now — but it was going to be three generations. You’d have the original trilogy, then go back to Luke’s father and find out what happened to him, and if there was another seventh, eighth, or ninth film, it would be Luke’s children.”

7. The Michael Arndt Draft“The Force Awakens” went through many rewrites before Disney and J.J. Abrams settled on a final shooting script, as the studio understandably wanted to make a good impression with jaded “Star Wars” fans.

We don’t know a great deal about the plot of Michael Arndt‘s original draft, other than the fact that it brought Luke Skywalker into the plot midway through rather than at the very end of the film. But even Arndt admitted that Luke’s presence distracted from the new cast of characters.

We also know that earlier drafts of the screenplay featured Rey having a flashback to Luke and Vader’s fateful duel on Cloud City, and Poe dying when his stolen TIE Fighter crashed on Jakku. Thankfully for all the Poe/Finn shippers out there, he was later spared that fate.

“Rogue One” (2016)

8. The Original Cut

“Rogue One” worried a great many “Star Wars” fans once word got out that Disney was moving forward with weeks of extensive rewrites and reshoots in summer 2016, a process that was overseen by Tony Gilroy rather than director Gareth Edwards. The goal was apparently to craft a lighter, more adventurous take, with many Disney and Lucasfilm higher-ups fearing the project was veering in too dark a direction. (Also, they had concern that Edwards’ sense of story was less-than-strong for what they needed their first “Star Wars” film post-“TFA” to be.)

The early trailers for “Rogue One” offer a taste of the film as it existed in its original form, as they feature many shots that were entirely absent in the final cut. That includes a glimpse of Director Krennic and his Stormtroopers wading through the beach on Scarif, alternate scenes with Vader, and a sequence where Jyn and Cassian charge directly into fire from a fleet of AT-ACT Walkers.

9. The “Happy Ending” Version“Rogue One” is notable for its relatively dark ending, as the film’s entire cast of heroes is killed during the Battle of Scarif. But that wasn’t always the case.

Writer Gary Whitta revealed that early drafts of the screenplay provided a happier ending for Jyn and Cassian (while other characters like Baze, Bodhi and Chirrut were completely absent). The film would have ended with Jyn and Cassian escaping the planet’s surface and surviving the destruction of their ship by fleeing into an escape pod.

But Whitta ultimately decided it just wasn’t worth the effort, saying “The fact that we had to jump through so many hoops to keep them alive was the writing gods telling us that if they were meant to live it wouldn’t be this difficult.” That alternate ending exists only in storyboard form.

December 12, 2017
18 Things You Never Knew About ‘The Fly’

“Be afraid. Be very afraid.” And we have been, for three decades, ever since the release of “The Fly.”

Upon its release 30 years ago this week (on August 15, 1986), the remake of the 1958 Vincent Price horror film was recognized instantly as a modern classic, made stars out of Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis, and became the biggest hit of arty-horror film director David Cronenberg‘s career.

Still, there’s much about the production’s larval stage you may not know, from the invaluable assistance provided by a beloved comedian to the fate of co-star John Getz‘s severed foot.

1. Comedy legend Mel Brooks is largely responsible for shepherding “The Fly” into production, through his arty Brooksfilms company, the studio behind David Lynch‘s “The Elephant Man.” The “Blazing Saddles” filmmaker deliberately kept a low profile on such projects so that no one would expect them to be funny.

2. The producers wanted “Dead Zone” director Cronenberg for “The Fly.” Having studied to become an entomologist in college, Cronenberg was interested, but he was busy developing “Total Recall.” So Brooks hired a relatively untried British director, Robert Bierman.

3. But then, during a vacation in South Africa, Bierman’s daughter was killed in an accident. After he dropped out of “The Fly,” the producers learned that Cronenberg was no longer working on “Total Recall” and was now available. Bierman would go on to make his name directing Nicolas Cage cult favorite “Vampire’s Kiss,” while “Total Recall” finally ended up in the hands of “Robocop” director Paul Verhoeven.4. Best known at the time for playing quirky characters like the People magazine reporter in “The Big Chill,” Jeff Goldblum was few people’s idea of a leading man. But Cronenberg liked him for the role of the eccentric scientist, especially since he was one of the few actors who didn’t mind having to hide under layers of latex as the character’s insect transformation became more extreme. Brooks backed the director’s choice, over the objection of 20th Century Fox.

5. Rehearsing for his “Fly” auditions, Goldblum ran lines with Geena Davis, his co-star in “Transylvania 6-5000,” who was at the time his girlfriend. The still largely unknown Davis lobbied Cronenberg for the “Fly” love interest role, and he finally agreed, despite his reluctance to hire a real-life couple. 6. Indeed, Davis had started unconsciously to mimic Goldblum’s movements and his distinctive, stop-start speech pattern, and Cronenberg had to coach the imitation out of her performance. Goldblum also had to avoid Davis when she shot scenes with John Getz (who played his romantic rival, Stathis) because of his real-life jealousy.

7. The name of Goldblum’s character, Seth Brundle, was inspired by Formula One driver Martin Brundle. A fan of motor sports, Cronenberg often names his characters after racing-world figures. Paradoxically, Seth Brundle hates driving because he’s prone to motion sickness, which is what prompts him to invent the teleportation pods in the first place.

8. At the time of the production, Cronenberg also owned a vintage Ducati motorcycle, whose cylinders were the design inspiration for the telepods.

9. Cronenberg seldom cameos in his own movies, but Davis insisted that, during Veronica’s horrific dream sequence, Cronenberg should play the gynecologist. She didn’t feel comfortable with any other actor in that position, while her legs were in the stirrups.

10. The sequence where Seth crawls on the ceiling (above) was accomplished via a set mounted on a Ferris wheel-like device. The set would rotate (with the camera fixed in place) so that Goldblum could appear to defy gravity.

11. Several sequences ended up on the cutting-room floor, including four endings involving variations on Veronica having another dream about giving birth to an insect baby. (As with “Dead Zone,” Cronenberg discovered that nothing worked as a coda to the hero’s violent demise and so just ended the film there instead.) Most notorious was the “monkey-cat” sequence, where the telepods transform Seth’s baboon and an alley cat into a hideous hybrid that Seth kills by clubbing it with a lead pipe, an action that made the character lose all sympathy from test audiences. (It didn’t help that the next scene saw Seth growing a strange appendage and chewing it off with his teeth.) Viewers finally got to see the “monkey-cat” sequence two decades later when it appeared on the DVD.

12. After Getz shot the climactic scene where the fully-transformed Brundle severs Stathis’s foot by vomiting digestive enzymes on it, Getz kept the prop foot in his refrigerator.

13. The line “Be afraid. Be very afraid,” which became the movie’s most famous bit of dialogue, was thought up by Brooks. It was also used on the posters and marketing for the film (above).

14. It took Goldblum up to five hours a day to bury himself under the prosthetics that transformed him into a man-sized insect, but it was worth the effort. Chris Walas and Stephan Dupuis won the Oscar for Best Makeup, the only Academy Award earned to date by a Cronenberg film.

15. “The Fly” cost $9 million to make. It earned back $60.6 million worldwide. It was Cronenberg’s top grossing film until “A History of Violence” earned $60.7 million in 2005. Adjusted for inflation, “The Fly” is still the biggest hit of Cronenberg’s career.

16. Walas also directed the 1989 sequel “The Fly II,” made without the participation of Cronenberg, Goldblum, or Davis.

17. Cronenberg, along with “Fly” composer Howard Shore, did turn the ’86 film into a stage opera in 2008. The following year, the director said he had an idea for a big-screen reboot, but the project never came to fruition.

18. By the way, the science of the movie, from teleportation to genetics, is largely bogus except for the part about flies vomiting enzymes onto their food in order to digest it.

August 15, 2016