Entertainment Today and Beyond

Never Met a Zombi I Didn’t Like…

HEROES on SHAKY ground

heroes-entertainment-weeklyWith NBC’s decision to fire the two hands-on producers/writers (Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb) of its Monday night program HEROES, one would have to think the show is in big trouble. After riding the wave of a terrific freshman season two years ago, the program hit a creative roadblock last year when the writing staff could not sustain originality or momentum and bogged the show down into a confusing mess. While this third season has been better than last, it has still failed to capture the magic of its first season’s roots.

When many on the internet were blowing off LOST in favor of HEROES as TV’s most inventive show, I shook my head since I never thought the two were in the same league. While Lost continues to amaze, Heroes searches for direction and, now, inspiration. I have to wonder if Heroes can really be salvaged. If it can, I really believe that many characters have to be eliminated. They need to come up with a focused storyline, and continue to take fan suggestions. Like many, I want to get that same Heroes thrill that I did two years ago. Trying to regain that magic will be a tall task indeed. With ratings down over 4 million viewers year to year, and the show’s budget a whopping four million per episode, NBC is rattling the cage. Whether the birds start singing again is something we’ll have to wait and see!

November 4, 2008 Posted by | Reviews | | Leave a Comment

HALLOWEEN Sequel moving forward

halloween4According to producer Melek Akkad, pre-production on a sequel to Rob Zombie’s 2007 HALLOWEEN is scheduled to get underway this January, with filming to begin in March. Akkad also confirms that the follow-up will be a theatrical release and not the direct to DVD project that was speculated about just a few weeks ago. While director Rob Zombie will not be back, Tyler Mane, who played the grown up Michael Myers, will return. Negotiations are also underway with members of the remakes cast to come back for this new installment. Considering that Zombie’s Halloween was financially successful, none of this surprises me. It is further proof, however, that there are very few people currently in the movie business, from the executive side, who have any real understanding of what they’re doing.

Money aside, Zombie’s version was a complete mess from a creative point of view. He took John Carpenters great horror story, which was fully realized, and focused on only half of it, leaving the viewer with almost no rooting interest. While Carpenter’s original used three characters; Laurie Strode, Dr. Sam Loomis and Micheal Myers to create a balanced screenplay, Zombie focused on Myers 75% of the time. While he gave decent screen time to Loomis, his tragic mistake was the writing of Laurie Strode. He took the heart and center of the original and used her like a discarded afterthought. That decision created a totally off-balance movie which wore out its welcome well before the half way mark. If you’re going to make another one without Zombie, why do a direct sequel to his botched work? Zombie was given something special when he received the chance to re-explore Carpenter’s original but, unfortunately, he dropped the ball. I say it’s time to wipe the slate clean! Having said that… Zombie’s movie made money so producers will go with a continuation of his story. SORRY fans but we lose out.

November 4, 2008 Posted by | Reviews | | Leave a Comment

   

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