This past week presented me with a couple of unique moviegoing opportunities. In addition to the ParaNorman showing I previewed the last time we met, I was also able to check out one of my all-time favorites, Jaws, on the big screen thanks to Cinemark's "Fall Classic Series". For as much as I enjoyed the pic long before this week's showing, I have to say that viewing it as an audience member in a packed theater for the first time opened my eyes to a whole new appreciation. Not only was I genuinely startled in a few scenes that repeat television and DVD viewings had long left me numb to, but I also came to respect Robert Shaw's timeless turn as Quint even more than I previously had. In short, my adoration for Spielberg's masterpiece was not only reaffirmed, it somehow found a way to expand.
But enough about my love of all things Jaws related. This week's Top 5 includes the news that James Gunn is in talks to direct Marvel's intergalactic tale, Guardians of the Galaxy, Sight & Sound's personal Top 10 lists from some of cinema's most revered directors (Spoiler Alert: that shark movie I drooled about in the opening paragraph appears on Tarantino's), a new red-band trailer for John Hillcoat's Lawless, Disney's plans to reboot The Rocketeer, and an animated look at how The Dark Knight Rises should have ended. A brief recap and link to each can be found after the jump.
1. James Gunn in Talks to Direct Marvel's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Perhaps it's no coincidence that, following on the heels of Joss Whedon's The Avengers' nearly unparalleled success, Marvel is looking for another director who has a track record of similarly mixing superhero elements, comedy, horror, and drama. On paper, Super and Slither writer/director James Gunn seems to fit that bill and this past week word broke that Marvel has its eyes set on him to direct Guardians of the Galaxy. Is it a done deal? No. But just knowing that Gunn currently sits at the top of their list gives us solid insight into the type of film they're shaping Galaxy to be.
2. Personal Top 10 Lists from Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, and More
Perhaps my favorite aspect of film is its fundamental ability to connect with different people differently. Much like any art form, no two people see the same work the same way. Sure, there are technical aspects by which we can objectively critique movies. Ultimately, though, the emotional influence a film has on an individual is completely subjective and unique to that person's own backstory. It is for this reason that I found this directors Top 10 list from Sight & Sound to be so interesting and worthy of an entry in this week's Top 5.
3. LAWLESS Red-Band Trailer
I'll admit that there isn't anything overtly amazing about this new red-band trailer for Lawless. I mean, other than the fact that the whole film looks incredible and this cut just happens to show us a little more blood, sex, and violence. Okay, so I stand corrected. Most everything about this trailer is amazing.
4. Disney to Reboot ROCKETEER
For many, director Joe Johnston's 1991 comic book adaptation The Rocketeer is considered an early classic of the superhero genre. It is only natural, then, that Disney is planning on rebooting the film rather than asking moviegoers to dig all the way back twenty-one years to the original when movies where still getting the hang of the whole having sound and color thing. While I, unlike some, have no particular affection for the original, I still can't bring myself to endorse yet another reboot of a title that is beloved by many and not particularly outdated in the first place.
5. How THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Should Have Ended
Will our coverage of The Dark Knight Rises ever end? Not as long it remains a part of the pop-culture zeitgeist to the point that creators are putting together hilarious spoofs like this one from HISHE (How it Should Have Ended). While I enjoyed the film, it never hurts to be able to poke fun and say those "Knight Knight" Batarangs are pretty sweet. Also, in the spirit of poking fun at TDKR, this mock abridged script for the film is probably worth your time too.