X-Files Sequel Still Totally Secret, Kinda
Creepy sequel The X-Files: I Want to Believe comes out next month, but the thing is still under info lockdown. Even two clips revealed last week at the L.A. Film Festival shed little light on Mulder and Scully’s latest mystery. And it sounds like David Duchovny might not even have read the script yet.
“I actually had to convince [director Chris Carter] to give me a script,” Duchovny told an audience at the fest this week. He and Carter then dished on the way extreme on-set secrecy:
Carter tried to improvise an entire night’s shooting, and told the crew to follow him. No plans, no advance notice, just leading people around saying, We’re going to shoot here and we’re going to do this. “It’s not a good way to make a movie,” Carter admitted.
Plus, of course, Mulder didn’t know any of his lines. “That’s what I was saying,” Duchovny deadpanned.
“We took crazy precautions,” Carter explained. “We only let the key people from each department read the script, and they read it in a room with video cameras on them.”
Locked in a room and under surveillance? This is starting to sound more and more like a Saw sequel. Could they at least call their moms? “They couldn’t call their moms,” said Carter.”
Spaced, the U.S. Tour
To promote the American DVD release of the BBC series Spaced on July 22nd, the creators and director will be doing a U.S. tour. Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes (formerly Jessica Stevenson) and Edgar Wright will be stopping by the L.A. Film Festival to promote the event and future stops may include the San Diego Comic Con, Austin and New York.
The Region 1 DVD will include a brand new all-star commentary track that will include the creators and director as well as various guest stars including Kevin Smith, Matt Stone (co-creator of South Park) and Diablo Cody (writer of Juno).
There was an attempt by McG and Fox to create an American version of Spaced that didn’t involved the original creators. Fortunately, that has been put to rest.
In short, if you’re a Spaced fan and you live in the vicinity of Los Angeles, Austin or New York then you are a lucky, lucky person.
Cate Blanchett Charms Rome Film Festival
Cate Blanchett Charms Rome Film Festival
Her first appearance as Queen Elizabeth, King Henry VIII’s daughter, won her an Oscar nomination. And Cate Blanchett is hoping for a similar outcome as her new film “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” (released last week Stateside) made its European premiere.
Yesterday at the Rome Film Festival, “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” captivated audiences in it’s out-of-competition viewing. And Blanchett told press that taking the gig was a no-brainer.
“It would have been perverse (to refuse to play in the sequel). It’s undeniable that Elizabeth I is an extraordinary woman in history.”
Cate also made the connection between the time period of the film and modern society. “On a prosaic level you’ve got a popular film of a holy war, and then you have a kernel within it of a modern dilemma, a woman facing the aging process and feeling isolated.”
Reese and Jake Promote “Rendition” In Rome
Reese and Jake Promote “Rendition” In Rome
Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal spent Sunday in Italy, promoting their recently released political drama, Rendition.
On what was the fourth day of the Rome Film Festival, Reese and Jake attended a photo call, followed up by the screening of their new movie about a man arrested as a terror suspect.
Despite having been photographed enjoying each other’s company a number of times in the past, Witherspoon recently made comments to press about her “purely platonic” relationship with Gyllenhaal.
The Legally Blonde actress said, “I have known Jake for years through different friends and he is just wonderful. He’s very kind, generous and funny. It’s been nice these past days to laugh a little bit. Yeah, he’s great and I look forward to maybe making another film with him.”