Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Celluloid Anticipation Redux!

Movies I am looking forward to!  And why.

I've only recently learned that Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman and Virginia Madsden are starring in a motion picture version of Little Red Riding Hood.  To be honest, the poster here is not official in any way, shape, manner or form.  Just something I whipped together.  Here is the official synopsis:  Set in a medieval village that is haunted by a werewolf, a young girl falls for an orphaned woodcutter, much to her family's displeasure.You can read (a little) more about the film here, so there really isn't much I can say for certain.  Still, I like the whole idea of a retelling of this classic (and very Freudian) fairy tale, especially when linked explicitly with the legend of the werewolf!  As you can probably guess, I'm quite the fan of Neil Jordon's Company of Wolves.  It is supposed to be a "gothic" retelling and is directed by the same person who did the first Twilight movie.  Expected release date is March 2011.

One film I've know of for a little while is The Tempest based on Shakespeare's play, directed by Julie Taymor (who also did another Shakespeare film, Titus). Interestingly, the lead's gender is changed but that I don't mind at all.  The cast is stellar with Dame Helen Mirren as Prospera, Felicity Jones as her daughter Miranda, Alan Cumming as Sebastian and Russel Brand as Trinculo.  You can see the trailer right here.  I think it looks spectacular!  This was one of the Bard's mature plays, and has a slightly melancholy air despite the many hijinks and puns.  Film gives us the potential to see the magic, and frankly looks to put Harry Potter to shame!  Look for it December 10, 2010.

Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader surprised me, simply because I thought the decision had been not to make the thing!  To be honest, C.S.Lewis' works don't touch me as much as do Tolkien's but that doesn't mean they aren't fun.  Methinks (will have to check) this is the first adaptation of the third Narnia novel, about a quest to the very edge of the world.  If one thinks Ulysses, or the Argonauts with a few dashes of Sinbad but through a Narnian lens you won't be far off.  For me, having always loved to live near waves and the smell of salt air, this fantasy which comprises a sea journey holds a special attraction.  Take a gander at the trailer right here.

2 comments:

Christine said...

Little Red Riding Hood sounds promising - I´m Company of wolves fan, too.

Amy said...

"Voyage of the Dawn Treader" was actually done quite well in the BBC's Narnia miniseries (which only went up to "The Silver Chair," which I think is the best of both the books and the BBC adaptations).

I actually think "Dawn Treader" would work quite well as a TV series. Since it's basically just "sail around and visit cool islands for disjointed adventures."