Random Movie Question: Match Director to Film Franchise

There’s been some interesting news as of late. Some directors have been put to film franchises that I would not have immediately associated. For example, Guillermo del Toro will be directing the adaptation of The Hobbit, with Peter Jackson producing. It’s an interesting choice, because del Toro is such a visually simulating director. If you’ve seen Pan’s Labyrinth or the Hellboy movies, you know what I mean. I can’t wait to see what he does with Smaug.

Then there’s the latest news over the weekend that Kenneth Branaugh is in talks to direct the Thor film in Marvel Comic’s Avenger series (connecting Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, and Captain America). You may remember Branaugh from HP and the Chamber of Secrets (he played Gilderoy Lockhart) or from the number of Shakespeare’s plays that he’s directed for the big screen, including Hamlet, Henry V (which I need to see), and Much Ado About Nothing (tied as my favorite Shakespearen movie with Ian McKellen’s Richard III). He’s an interesting choice, certainly not one that I would have identified as a “comic book movie” director. Hopefully, he will bring the gravitas that Patrick Stewart and McKellen brought to the X-Men series (at least the first two films in that series).

A couple of weeks ago, “Moriarty” from Ain’t It Cool News gave an intriguing opinion (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/38353) about the next Superman movie. He thought that it would be interesting for the Coen brothers to direct the next movie – putting the ultimate man-without-guile into their O Brother and Hudsucker universe. Now, I don’t know if this is a good idea or not. Moriarty is basing it on a particular Superman story of which I’m not familiar. But that suggestion got me thinking, and that leads to this week’s RMQ:

What director do you think would make an interesting pairing with a particular story or film franchise?

The first thought I had for this was that Alfonso Cuarón would be perfect for Ender’s Game. If you’re not familiar with the story, it’s a sort of combination of Starship Troopers with Lord of the Flies. The main actors are children, and I think that Cuarón has demonstrated (with HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban) that he understands the relational dynamics between children, at least better than any of the other HP directors.

I’d also love to see Martin Scorese’s King Lear as a mob movie (like how Kirosawa brought the story into feudal Japan in Ran). With DeNiro in the title role, it would really be interesting from the perspective of the role of women (Lear’s 3 daughters as mob captains?) in contemporary Italian-American culture. Another Shakespeare film that could be interesting would be Wes Anderson’s As You Like It. There are enough off-beat melancholy characters in the play that it would fit perfectly in Anderson’s universe (Bill Murray as Jacques, the character who gives the “All the world’s a stage” speech, would be great).

What do you think? Should Spielberg direct the WWII-era Captain America origin story? Or Tom Hanks? Or Ron Howard? What about P.T. Anderson directing The Catcher in the Rye, or Charlie Kaufmann/Michel Gondry taking a crack at the oft-failed Don Quixote story? How long will we wait until Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow) does a James Brown biopic with Eddie Murphy in the lead role?

Throw caution (and studio’s budgets) to the wind and come up with your most interesting pairings.

Random Movie Question: Who's Eeeevvviiiiiillllllll?

For this week's RMQ, we turn our attention to the world of film villainry. The characters we love to hate, whose predestined and glorious deaths cause us joy unspeakable (yes, vengeance is wrong -- but it can still be funny).

And so, here's the question asked solely to encourage participation on the blog: Who is your favorite underrated film villain?


This is an easy one for me. Without a doubt, it's Edward the Longshanks from Braveheart. Yes, I know that Braveheart may not be found on any "underrated" movie lists, but here's why I can claim Edward as underrated -- because none of you would have thought of him. So there.


Besides, Eddie is downright eeevvviilllll. "The problem with Scotland is that it's full of Scots." "If we can't get them out, we'll breed them out."

And this gem of dialogue:
Longshanks: Archers.
English Commander: I beg pardon sire. Won't we hit our own troops ?
Longshanks: Yes... but we'll hit theirs as well. We have reserves. Attack .

And what a comeuppances good ole’ Eddie gets from Sophie Marceau’s Princess Isabella: “Death comes to us all. But before it comes to you, know this: your blood dies with you. A child who is not of your line grows in my belly. Your son will not sit long on the throne. I swear it.” Ouch.

Random Movie Question: Song for End Credits

At the risk of amplifying an aesthetic debate by combining music with film, here's this week's RMQ:

What is your favorite song for the end credits of a movie?

Lots of great options here. I've learned my lesson from the first RMQ and not suck the oxygen out of the discussion by only offering one opinion here (though there would be lots to choose from):

I love, love , love the use of "Shape of My Heart" by Sting at the end of Leon: The Professional. Great song, and I love the closing shot of Natalie Portman's Mathilda as she puts Leon's plant in the ground. [Highlight to read spoiler]

Random Movie Question Offered Purely to Instigate Discussion

Okay, it doesn't make a great acronym. I'm working on that.

From time to time I'd like to ask some random questions -- I find it helps my "movie memory." Plus, movie arguments are fun.

So, in honor of the upcoming Kevin Costner blockbuster (or merely "bust") Swing Vote, here's this week's question:

Who is your favorite movie president?

Off the top of my head:
Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove "You can't fight in here. This is the War Room."
Michael Douglas in The American President (despite the pretentious title)
Morgan Freeman in Deep Impact (underrated movie)
And, of course, Harrison Ford in Air Force One, where he shot more people than Dick Cheney.

Anyone who nominates Bill Pulman from Independence Day will be mocked and banned.