Jim Schembri’s Movie Cheat Sheet – May 21
‘CARRY ON’ FILMS TO CARRY ON
Exciting news for lovers of classic, low-brow movie comedy: the Carry On series of British films is to be resuscitated, says Variety. First we’ll get Carry On Doctors, which will apparently skewer the National Health Service, then Carry on Campus. All up, 31 low-budget, low-brow films were made (often at lightning speed) between 1958-92, the best of which were like bullet trains of one lineres and double entendres. All were directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by the legendary Peter Rogers, who unintentionally began the franchise when they made 1958’s Carry On Sargeant. Casting is yet to begin. Here’s hoping it attracts some of Britain’s best young stand ups who aren’t scared to mock the politically correct establishment.
SARANDON TO REBOOT PORN
Veteran Hollywood feminist Susan Sarandon plans on expanding her filmmaking interests into pornography. Speaking to The Times at Cannes, Sarandon – who won an Oscar for Dead Man Walking, played Louise in Thelma & Louise and transformed into a dragon at the end of Enchanted – said she wants today’s erotic offerings to brandish a more female point of view: ‘I have threatened, in my 80s, to direct porn. I haven’t watched enough to know what the problems are. Most pornography is brutal and doesn’t look pleasurable from a female point of view. So I’ve been saying that when I no longer want to act, I want to do that.’
Given her admission, she’ll no doubt be doing lots of research. No word yet on whether she plans on featuring cameos from famous friends.
REBEL SUES OVER ‘FAKE AGE’ STORIES
Claims that Aussie actress Rebel Wilson lied about her age has lead the prolific funny girl to take Bauer Media to the mat with a defamation suit. Widely re-reported stories that appeared in Women’s Day, May 2015 (which was when Pitch Perfect 2 was released) claimed Wilson had lied about her age, name and childhood. Wilson – who hit big in Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect – says the stories cost her projects. She maintains that for her to work in America she needs to produce her passport, thus making her true age impossible to hide.
SHIA TO CHANNEL MCENROE
Eccentric actor Shia LaBeouf (Transformers; Disturbia) is set to play tennis badboy John McEnroe in Borg vs McEnroe, a film about their classic 1980 Wimbledom smackdown. It just feels like perfect casting, doesn’t it?
MARVEL ICED IRON MAN 3’S FEMME VILLAIN
While spruiking The Nice Guys via film website Uproxx, director Shane Black revealed how Iron Man 3 was originally to feature a major female villain – until Marvel decreed a gender switch over concerns about toy sales. The whole script had to be changed, he says, creating the character played by Guy Pearce.
‘We were given a no-holds-barred memo saying that cannot stand and we’ve changed our minds because, after consulting, we’ve decided that toy won’t sell as well if it’s a female.’
Our response: Come on, Marvel. That’s self-fulfilling prophecy bulltwang. We need big bad girls as much as we need female superheroes. Never mind all the gender equality rhetoric. This is about entertainment. Villainous women are fun to watch. You’re the ones with the treasured back catalogue so how’s about getting it in gear and giving us the kick-ass females we deserve.
ANGRY BIRDS PIPPED BY CAPTAIN AMERICA
The Angry Birds Movie hatched nicely with opening week receipts totalling $2.98 million across a whoppinhg 405 screens, landing it at #2 while Captain America: Civil War remained on top with another $4.6m taken over 481 for a three-week total of $29.58m. (Meanwhile, Batman vs Superman has already left the building. Boy, did audiences hate that film.) The First Monday in May (#12) took $128,599 on 20, Bastille Day (#9) earned $295,339 on 128 while the war comedy Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (#5) took a very healthy $1.06m across 171 screens.