Week Ending 12th August, 2001	Page 3 2 1
Exorcist: The Phantom Menace, Betty Page & CG Wild Things	posted 7 Aug 2001
Here are a few recents announcements of up and coming productions that grabbed my attention... Popcorn.co.uk reports that John Frankenheimer has agreed to direct a prequel to The Exorcist. This one will deal with Max Von Sydow's character's first encounter with the devil in post-WWII Africa... One for all you retro-perverts: that sexual icon of the 50's, Betty Page, is finally being honoured with a biopic... And, last but not least, Where The Wild Things Are is going the way of Shrek, with a CG adaptation of it being planned.
I Love The Smell of EVEN MORE Napalm In The Morning	posted 7 Aug 2001
Apocalypse Now: It's back, it's longer, and - if the reviews are anything to go by - it's still the greatest war-film mind-f**k of all time. A new version with 49 minutes of additional footage recently opened in the States to a critical chorus of 'They just don't make films like they used to'... Unfortunately, no Australian release date has been announced, but in the meantime, you can catch a glimpse of some of the new scenes at ifilm.com. Also check out the hallucinatory Requiem For A Dream style Flash site.
Will FX Boredom Save Screenwriting ?	featured on Celluloid Dreams
Going against the conventional wisdom that FX-laden blockbusters are the enemy of good screenwriting, Nick Nunziata argues that CG may help bring about a resurgence in decently scripted movies by hastening the day when no one is astounded by 'great visual effects' anymore... His argument goes like this: 'When you can't wow people, you have to capture them some other way. Unless the technology is created to provide viewers with 3 orgasms per screening through subconscious imaging, they're going to have to TELL BETTER STORIES.' Your thoughts?
Let's Get Skase... Too Late !	featured on Celluloid Dreams
According to the most recent on-line edition of filmnet daily - 'The team behind feature Let’s Get Skase are desperately trying to complete post production as they fear that the real Christopher Skase is about to die. If he did die then the film may not grab public interest as happened with Diana and I'... Some might say they've missed the boat now, but I refuse to believe that Slippery Chris actually has died... Stay tuned for the inevitable 7-11 sightings.
Teen Sex Flicks And Condoms Don't Mix ...?	featured on Celluloid Dreams
As far as cross-promotions go, this one not only made sense but it had the potential to send out a positive message... Universal Pictures had hooked-up with Ansell in a deal that would see LifeStyles condoms featured in American Pie 2 and its accompanying TV ads. Then the Motion Picture Association of America stepped in and got the ads pulled because they would expose said frangers to the general public... I'm thinking 'Only In America' right now, but I wonder what would happen if the same scenario were played out in Australia... Your thoughts?
What ?... This Means No Moulin Rouge II ?	featured on Celluloid Dreams
The title's flippant, but the issue is serious... Australia's future as a favoured location for big-budget films has been put under threat by a Tax Office decision to knockback tax concessions for investors in Moulin Rouge... But is this such an unmitigated disaster? As was pointed out on Celluloid last night, maybe it will mean that local filmmakers get more of a chance to use the facilities at Fox more... Your thoughts?
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