Film | by Shane “Head Mouseketeer” Hnetka
If you love going out to movies but the blockbusters are too much for you, good news: there’s still a reason to head to theatres this summer. Every month, Cineplex screens a classic movie and in July, that classic happens to be the awesome Billy Wilder comedy Some Like it Hot. On July 16 and 19, watch Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in drag hide from gangsters while wooing Marilyn Monroe. It’s one of Wilder’s funniest films. Check it out.
Everybody Does It Better
Rumour has it the James Bond movies’ long-time producers want a 007 cinematic universe, probably because all the other studios either have them or are trying to get one going.
What a lame idea. At 24 films and counting, we don’t need 007 spin-offs. Until Daniel Craig took over the title role, most Bond movies have been stand-alone adventures anyway, with only the rare actor (beyond the core MI5 group) returning as a previously seen character (looking at you, Richard Kiel and Clifton James). And yeah, it would be interesting to see some more representation — female characters, spies of colour, etc. — but I don’t think that’s a good enough reason for another cinematic universe. More like a good reason for better Bond movies.
Bond is one of the longest-running movie franchises in history. Just worry about making each instalment terrific. That’s enough.
A Disturbance In The Force
Whether it’s the legendary animated division or Marvel and Lucasfilm, the Mouse House seems unstoppable right now. Every Disney division’s boss has a clear vision for the kind of movies they want to make, and they get their way: John Lasseter in the animation and Pixar, Kevin Feige at Marvel and long-time film producer Kathleen Kennedy at Lucasfilm, where she’s overseen Star Wars’ successful relaunch.
But there’s trouble brewing in a galaxy far, far away. The directors of the Han Solo standalone movie just got fired, and Ron Howard has stepped in.
Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who directed movies like 21 Jump Street and The Lego Movie, were ostensibly dumped for “creative differences”. Then it leaked there was more to it, and that the film was in trouble. Besides Lord and Miller clashing with writer Lawrence Kasdan and Kennedy, the crew was allegedly frustrated and young Han Solo himself, actor Alden Ehrenreich, apparently needed a last-minute acting coach.
It’s pretty rare for directors to get fired mid-production, especially on a big-budget movie, but if the Untitled Han Solo Movie was off the rails I guess it needed to be done. Besides, Rogue One had problems too but Kennedy stepped in and reworked the movie with director Gareth Edwards, and it paid off. Bottom line: Star Wars is Kathleen Kennedy’s universe and if she doesn’t think a movie’s up to Star Wars standards, then she’s going to fix it.
The only thing that matters is she gets it right.
Shane Hnetka is a made-in-Saskatchewan film and comic book nerd. Check out his classic movie column Sunday Matinee every weekend at prairiedogmag.com.
