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Comic Con 2011: Robert Rodriguez Announces Things!

Brendan Walsh — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 00:11:54 +0000

At this year’s San Diego Comic Con, the large ballrooms, typically reserved for panels discussing TV programs, have been outrageously overcrowded, with lines leading people almost a mile away from the convention center itself. Meanwhile, the cavernous Hall H, used to draw in big crowds for large studio announcements, has been surprisingly accessible, and sometimes even sparsely attended. I’m certainly not complaining, because while 25,000 people stand out in the sun hoping to make it into a 4,000 person room and catch a glimpse of the cast from Big Bang Theory, we got to hear indie auteur Robert Rodriguez make a handful of announcements about his future, in a shockingly intimate setting. See what Rodriguez had to say, after the jump…

Robert Rodriguez is a very busy man. When he makes movies, he is involved in every step of the process; he writes, directs, shoots, edits, and composes the music. And as if that weren’t enough, he is continuing to expand his repertoire. Rodriguez announced that in addition to his Troublemaker Studios, which is his own studio that he uses to produce his films, he will soon open Quickdraw Productions. He said that Quickdraw will essentially be a production company that will allow him to invite other filmmakers to have access to his resources, and tell their own stories. This is an interesting prospect, considering in January, we reported that Kevin Smith announced that he will be opening Smodcast Pictures, with a similar goal in mind. It seems that the indie guys who’ve hit it big are looking forward to sharing their success.

He also announced, though it isn’t much of an announcement, since it’s advertised on posters that are already on theater walls, that Spy Kids 4 will be in 4-D. That is to say it will be in “Aroma-vision,” which means that there will be little scented cards passed out to audiences and they will be prompted to smell them at certain points of the movie. Now first of all, that isn’t 4-D–Time travel is 4-D…but whatever. I’d like to deride this for being a dumb gimmick, but it’s a kids movie, so what are you gonna do?

Don’t worry, Rodriguez went on to make more substantial announcements. He said that he’s been working closely with comic book legend Frank Miller on creating a new, original Sin City story, called “The Long, Bad Night.” There was a lot of talk about fleshing out, so to speak, the rest of the Sin City series immediately after the success of the original in 2005, but there has been little news on it since. Rodriguez acknowledged this, and said that, “if we’re going to actually get the chance to do it, we’ll be doing in the next year or two.” Very exciting.

Speaking of exciting, Rodriguez went on to specifically thank Comic Con audiences, because he felt they were integral in the success of his campy vehicle for Danny Trejo, Machete. ”Thanks to the success of that film, the next two have already been greenlit. So we can all look forward to Machete Kills, and Machete Kills in Space. Yeah, it’s going to be a space opera.” That’s great news. High concept action genre films are his wheelhouse, and it sounds like he wants to continue having fun with this ultra-violent character.

He also announced the first title for his newly founded Quickdraw Productions, which will be a live action adaptation of the graphic novel/animated film series Heavy Metal. If you don’t know what that is, it looks a little something like this. Between the fantastical visionary artwork and the heavy, hard rock, that should be a pretty badass project.

Finally, he announced that he will be curating and opening a museum in Austin, TX, dedicated to the work of the late, great fantasy painter Frank Frazetta. Frazetta is most well known for his paintings of Conan the Barbarian, and the iconic sci fi character John Carter of Mars, which is an upcoming film to be directed by Finding Nemo’s Andrew Stanton.

So there you have it. A state of the union address from the do it yourself filmmaker who helped pioneer independent movies in the 90s. Rodriguez is practically an industry himself at this point, and it looks like he’s only going to get busier.

Robert Rodriguez Announces ‘Sin City’ And ‘Machete’ Sequels, ‘Heavy Metal’ Remake

traviswoods — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 23:33:51 +0000

Well, it’s about time—after six long years, Robert Rodriguez has finally announced the long-awaited sequel to Sin City, the aptly titled Sin City 2. Rodriguez let this information, along with a lot more, slip today at Comic-Con.

Ostensibly there to talk up Spy Kids 4: Seriously, Another One?, Rodriguez quickly got to the cool stuff. According to The AV Club:

“First up: The long-rumored Sin City 2, which Rodriguez says could begin shooting—in 3-D, naturally—as early as this year from an already-completed script by Frank Miller. The director says he’s also close to making his Machete follow-up, Machete Kills, followed soon thereafter by Machete Kills Again, with the latter reportedly being set in space.”

While utterly ridiculous, I can’t wait for these—although, knowing how Rodriguez talks up dream projects almost as often as Tarantino, it could be a decade before we actually see any of these.

Also on Rodriguez’s docket?

“The other big news is that he is now attached to the long-gestating, modern adaptation of Heavy Metal magazine, an update of 1981’s barbarians-and-boobs and cyborgs-and-Corvettes (and boobs) animated feature that Rodriguez plans to film as an anthology with different directors—which means that the other filmmakers like James Cameron, David Fincher, and Zack Snyder who have also tried to remake Heavy Metal over the years may still have a shot. And along those same lines, Rodriguez confirmed those reports from last year that he still plans on doing a live-action remake of Frank Frazetta and Ralph Bakshi’s custom-van epic Fire And Ice.”

I’m literally not sure how this guy even finds time to sleep at this point. And, as long as he produces Machete Kills Again, I don’t care.

What do you think of the Rodriguez movie news?

Spy Kids 4 Trailer threatens Fourth Dimension

Damon Houx — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:59:10 +0000

At the end of the new Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World trailer, it says the film will be in 4-D. What does this mean for audiences? Often considered spacetime by nerds, it can also be odors in the theatrical business. Does that mean we will be able to smell Jessica Alba and Joel McHale‘s cooking, or Jeremy Piven‘s bad guy cologne? Likely it’s just a marketing gimmick, as the film is in 3-D, so perhaps the film will not open a wormhole for every screening. Robert Rodriguez returns for the fourth entry in this decade-old franchise, and now there’s a trailer. Check it out.

In the intervening years, Robert Rodriguez went through a very public separation from his wife, and the film is about kids embracing their step-mom. Interesting. But other than that subtext, this looks to be more of the same sort of heightened kids film anarchy that’s part and parcel with Rodriguez’s children-centric filmmaking. The original kids are now too old to be called kids, so this functions as a sequel and reboot at the same time, as with so many sequels these days.

The franchise has always been successful, but this will probably be the last entry… unless audiences really wanted this. But that’s hard to believe with a franchise that hasn’t had a sequel in eight years. Perhaps this was contractual obligation. The film hits theaters August 19th.

Are you a fan of the Spy Kids Franchise?

NBA All Star Kobe Bryant Stars in Robert Rodriguez’s The Black Mamba

Krystal Clark — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 16:14:05 +0000

Los Angeles Laker star Kobe Bryant has had an eventful few days. Not only did he participate in the annual NBA All-Star Game, but he became the first athlete to have his hand and footprints immortalized at the world famous Grauman’s Chinese Theater. If that wasn’t enough, he also starred in a short film called The Black Mamba, which was directed by Robert Rodriguez. Bryant plays the title character, who goes up against his fair share of adversaries including Bruce Willis and Danny Trejo. Oh yeah, and Kanye West is in it too! Watch the movie below…

The Black Mamba takes a lot of cues from Rodriguez’s previous films with the most obvious being Desperado. The lone gunman has been turned into a talented basketball star who showcases his shoes as well as his talents. Trejo is a muscle man, Willis is the second in command, and West plays the boss who’s aptly titled “The Boss.”

Even though West isn’t the best actor in the world, we love him in this short. He was the perfect choice to play a conceited, power hungry, selfish, and arrogant bad guy. Bryant wasn’t too bad either. We liked it!

What do you think of The Black Mamba?

Machete: Movie Review

Krystal Clark — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 23:00:14 +0000

Machete is an old school, grind house action flick with guns, knives, and a strong political undertone. The last description doesn’t really fit but that didn’t stop Robert Rodriguez from using this trailer turned film to vocalize his disdain for U.S. immigration policies. The filmmaker has a huge bone to pick but instead of addressing Congress, he’s taking his argument to the theater!

Check out the review…

The Players:

Director: Ethan Maniquis, Robert Rodriguez,
Screenwriters: Robert Rodriguez,
Cast: Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Jeff Fahey, Michelle Rodriguez, Robert De Niro, Don Johnson, Shea Whigham, Daryl Sabara, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Steven Seagal
Cinematographer: Jimmy Lindsey
Original Music By: John Debney

The Plot:

Machete follows an ex-federale who is betrayed by his superiors in his native Mexico. After years on the run, he ends up in Texas taking odd jobs to make ends meet. After taking down a tough street fighter he’s commissioned to assassinate a controversial politician who’s trying to crack down on illegal immigration. From that point on he finds himself embroiled in an “us vs them battle” between the Latin natives who are part of an underground community called “The Network” and a group of extremists who work for border patrol.

The Good:

The Characters: Every person in this film is an exaggeration of someone who really exists. The characters are all based on stereotypes. There’s the overzealous southern politician, the Mexican drug lord, the hard pressed cop, and of course the vigilante hero, whose blades are faster than bullets. That’s obviously the exaggerated part.
The Action: Gun play? Check! Explosions? Check! Knife fights? Hell yes! Machete has a lot of obscene and almost obnoxious action sequences that are filled with gore. There’s a reason the protagonist’s weapon of choice is a giant blade. He’s not trying to just get the job done. He’s trying to make a point.
The Story: Like I said earlier, the plot heavily leans on the current state of immigration in the U.S., specifically the cities near the Mexican border. This is an underdog story, not just for Machete but for his people. At times the political tone does get a bit heavy handed but it’s an entertaining way to shed light on the topic.

The Bad:

Jessica Alba: Why was she cast as the female lead? Her acting is unbelievable — literally she was UNBELIEVABLE. You don’t buy her as a immigration officer who’s torn between her allegiance to the law and to her people. Her performance didn’t feel genuine. Michelle Rodriguez (one of the highlights of the film) could have done a lot better with the role than Alba.
Steven Seagal: So this is why Seagal wasn’t in The Expendables? He plays a Mexican drug lord who’s also Machete’s arch enemy. Seagal is a shadow of his former self. His squinted gaze, bloated figure, and obvious hair piece was nothing more than a distraction when he appeared on screen. This is not the same guy from Hard to Kill. It just can’t be!
The Length: This movie was entirely too long. It was overextended by one too many villains. There’s always a guy, behind a guy, behind another guy, and then you get the real guy who’s pulling the strings. It takes forever for them to get to that point and when they do, we’re exhausted.

Overall:

If you liked Grindhouse, you’ll love Machete. It’s got sex, drugs, action, and low riders as far as the eye can see. If that’s your thing, this will be the perfect flick for you to spend your money on this Labor Day weekend.

Rating: 7.5/10

Machete opens in theaters everywhere September 3rd.

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

Are you interested in seeing Machete this weekend?

Robert Rodriguez In Talks to Direct Deadpool

Krystal Clark — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:47:13 +0000

Last June, we got word that Robert Rodriguez was offered the directing job for Fox’s upcoming Deadpool spin-off. The film will feature Ryan Reynolds reprising the role he originated in the visual tragedy that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine. There’s been a new behind the scenes development that has Rodriguez inching closer to a deal with the studio according to a report from The LA Times’ 24 Frames.

After Reynolds decided to take on the title role in Warner Bros adaptation of Green Lantern, we weren’t sure if Deadpool would ever happen. But we’re seeing some signs of life with Rodriguez’s rumored involvement. 24 Frames’ sources claim that the director is in negotiations with Fox and “the sides need to agree on a number of key points, but it’s moved beyond the casual discussion stage and into the more substantive realm of deal points.”

The screenplay will be written by Zombieland’s Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and the film is scheduled to hit theaters in 2012. We need to get this show on the road because Rodriguez is currently working on Spy Kids 4 and is said to be looking for a change of pace when the movie wraps. What screams change more than the “Merc with a Mouth”? Can we confirm this deal already?

Do you want to see Rodriguez direct Deadpool?

New Machete Trailer – All Knives and Guns!

Krystal Clark — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 01:18:33 +0000

A new trailer has just been released for Robert Rodriguez’s B-grade action flick, Machete. The film is based on a fake trailer that appeared in his collaborative project with Quentin Tarantino entitled Grind House. Supporting character actor Danny Trejo leads the cast as the lean, mean, machete throwing machine. Check out the new trailer…

Even though the trailer doesn’t show the entire cast, Trejo will be joined by a group of talented actors including Oscar winner Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Steven Seagal, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Don Johnson and Jeff Fahey just to name a few.

If you judge this as a standard B movie and nothing more, it doesn’t look bad. Anything that involves both Marin and Rodriguez usually tickles my fancy but there are a few flaws. The little bit of fight choreography Alba is shown doing is horrible. She did better work on Fox’s “Dark Angel.” Other than that it was good, especially Seagal in sensei mode again. It’s been a long time!

Don’t forget to check out the first trailer for the film with a special introduction from Trejo himself. It’s the Cinco de Mayo edition!

What do you think of the new trailer for Machete?

Source: IGN

Predators: Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 23:00:53 +0000

Finally someone knows how to execute a real action film! One that has your heart racing from start to end, has you jumping in your seats, rooting for the characters and kick-ass fight scenes with ever weapon imaginable. Nimród Antal and Robert Rodriguez team up to form one bad-ass sequel worthy of the Predator name with their new film Predators.

Check out the full review on how they made this movie a success below…

The Players:

Director: Nimród Antal
Written By: Alex Litvak and Michael Finch
Characters by: Jim Thomas and John Thomas
Producer: Robert Rodriguez, Elizabeth Avellan, John Davis
Actors: Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Walton Goggins, Oleg Taktarov, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Trejo, Louis Ozawa Changchien

The Plot:

A group of elite warriors are hunted by members of a merciless alien race known as Predators.

The Good:

Jump Start: The opening shot of this movie is pure awesome-ness and sets the pace for the entire film. What a better way to jump into a world than to literally jump into a world?! From the first moment of the film they get your heart pumping and it doesn’t let up until the credits roll.
The Minimal Dialogue: This isn’t the type of film that we want to listen to people talk in, this is a serious action film. With minimal explanation and a few fun actiony one-liners, it does what it needs to, leaves the talking to a minimum and constantly moves from one moment to the next.
Fight Scenes: They literally have just about every type of fight scene you love in one film. They use guns, bombs, swords, poison, basically anything they could get their hands on to bring you something fun. The fight scenes are full of suspense and exhilarating to watch.
Camera Movement: Nimród uses the camera to make the audience feel like they’re a part of the on screen world and proves that you don’t need 3D glasses to do it (take that Cameron!). He uses some great POV shots that make you feel like you’re running and jumping with the pack which as a result make you feel more invested in the story. Great camera work!
Tone: This is probably the first good serious action film of the summer. We’ve had a number of playful action films (The A-Team, The Losers) but this one isn’t fucking around, it takes its action and story seriously and you can feel it in the audience.
Cliches: So many films try to surprise you with scary moments. For example: Normally you see someone about to open a door, the music builds, they open it, nothing is there, the music stops and then BAM! Something is behind them. This film goes back to old-fashioned scare techniques. The things that you think will scare you will scare you! It’s such a refreshing and fun experience to go through. It makes you feel like you’re a kid again.

The Bad:

Few Moments of Over-Acting: For this kind of film it’s hard not to have these moments and they did a good job at avoiding them, but they were still there.
Scare Factor: There were some great scary moments, but there could have been a bit more. It was like a taco with pico de gallo, it’s good, but it doesn’t quite have the spice you want. There are definitely a couple of good jumps, but it might have been nice to have a couple more.

Overall:

Great action, tons of fun, well executed, solid cast, great summer-action flick. Get some popcorn and get ready for the ride!

Rating: 8.5/10

Check out Predators in theaters July 9th!

Photos:

Trailer:

Robert Rodriguez Offered Deadpool Movie

Krystal Clark — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:48:45 +0000

We’ve heard so much about X-Men First Class that people have forgotten about 20th Century Fox’s other little spin-off, Deadpool. It’s no secret that Deadpool was one of the only good things to come out of Wolverine, which is why the studio green lit a film shortly after its release. According to The Playlist via Production Weekly, the studio wants Robert Rodriguez to direct their adaptation of the “Merc with a mouth.”

Rodriguez has been busy over the past couple of years with his production of Machete and the upcoming release of Predators but he’s no stranger to Fox and their directing advances. He was previously courted to helm their Planet of the Apes sequel but passed on the offer. Perhaps a comic hero as enticing and kick-ass as Deadpool might be enough to suck him into the X-Men world.

We were wondering when (any) news would surface regarding the Deadpool character because after Ryan Reynolds flipped him the bird for Green Lantern we were a little worried. At least now we know the studio is still moving forward and trying to develop the project. No official confirmation regarding Rodriguez’ involvement has been made but we’ll keep an eye on it and let you know when something breaks.

Do you think Robert Rodriguez should direct Deadpool?

Robert Rodriguez Acquires Fire and Ice

Krystal Clark — Thu, 20 May 2010 17:55:14 +0000

If the name Fire and Ice makes you think of a figure skating duo or Will Ferrell’s movie Blades of Glory get your head out of the clouds! We’re referring to Ralph Bakshi and Frank Frazetta’s animated feature from 1983. It had a Conan the Barbarian and Vampirella vibe mixed with a little bit of Beast Master for good measure. According to AICN, Robert Rodriguez has acquired the rights to the original and is getting ready to produce a remake at his TroubleMaker Studios.

Here’s what Rodriguez told AICN,

The awesome Ralph Bakshi and I have been working it out for a while, and [Fire and Ice is] now a TROUBLEMAKER STUDIOS PICTURE. What’s cool is, unlike past projects that I’d get involved with that would get stalled for various reasons, I control the rights to this one. So it’s actually in my power to set it up and get it made, which wasn’t the case on other projects.

The original film was written by Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas and is described as one of the “most startling animation epics of all time.” We’re not sure how much we agree with that sentiment but it was a decent movie. Let’s put it this way, if it came on TV on a Saturday afternoon we wouldn’t change the channel.

Here’s the film’s original trailer:

We’re not sure what long term plans Rodriguez has for Fire and Ice but whatever he does it better be good. In the next few years we’ll see the Conan remake and the adaptation of John Carter of Mars hit the big screen. Those are two films that share very similar themes so the competition will be thick!

What do you think of Rodriguez’s decision to produce Fire and Ice? Are you interested in seeing a remake?

Machete Cinco de Mayo Trailer Premiere

Krystal Clark — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:49:04 +0000

Robert Rodriguez is a marketing genius! In honor of Cinco de Mayo, the director decided to release an “illegal” teaser for his upcoming film Machete. Do you remember that grainy trailer that appeared during Grindhouse that was sandwiched between Death Proof and Planet Terror? Yeah, he made a feature length movie out of that. Take a look…

The folks over at AICN got first dibs on the new trailer that features a special introduction by its star Danny Trejo. The actor will be joined by a supporting cast that includes Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Steven Seagal, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Don Johnson and Jeff Fahey just to name a few.

Besides Trejo, Marin is another actor who consistently appears in Rodriguez’s films and to see him as a gun toting priest is classic. Also, is it just us or does De Niro look like he’s showing some range in his role as the Senator? It’s been such a long time since we’ve seen him step outside the box and he looks damn good here.

There are so many things to like about this trailer but our favorite is the small credit given to Don Johnson. It says “Introducing” in front of his name as if he hasn’t been in the film industry for 40 years already. The irony!

What do you think of the first trailer for Machete?

New Predators Clip Shows Topher Grace as Edwin

Krystal Clark — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:28:30 +0000

Yesterday we brought you an interview clip from Predators producer and director Robert Rodriguez and Nimrod Antal. It explained a lot about the unconventional casting and story changes they made to set the reboot apart from the original and today on the film’s official website they debuted some behind the scenes footage featuring Topher Grace as his character Edwin. He’s one of the many actors we were surprised to see pop up in this movie because quite frankly, who’s afraid of Eric Foreman? Check out the video to see how he fits in with the rest of the group…

In Predators, Royce is the central character and a military trained mercenary. He reluctantly leads a group of elite warriors who have been brought together on an alien planet… as prey. With the exception of a disgraced physician, they are all cold-blooded killers mercenaries, Yakuza, convicts, death squad members human “predators” that are now being systemically hunted and eliminated by a new breed of alien creatures.

Oh snap! It looks like Edwin is a medical doctor who has some serious skeletons in his closet (literally). Out of the wild bunch of killers Rodriguez suggests that he might be the deadliest of them all. Isn’t that how it always goes? The guy who looks the most unassuming and wears glasses is always a serial killer at heart in these types of films. Hopefully, Grace’s attempt at playing the bad guy is a lot better than what we saw in Spider-Man 3 because that performance was a joke.

What do you think of Grace as Edwin? Do you think he’ll be the most dangerous out of the group?

ScreenCrave.com » robert rodriguez

Comic Con 2011: Robert Rodriguez Announces Things!

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The Good:

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Trailer:

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