Dogtown And Z-Boys
1 6 THE LIST
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Insomnia
CARTOON ADAPTATION
Scooby Doo
ETA Summer
Live action version of the ever popular Hanna Barbera TV cartoon. The cowardly dog himself is a CGI creation and. boy. does he look good. Ah-ooo’? It also gets plus points for not featuring the utterly irritating Scrappy 000. There's some nice casting action going on. too. with the human performers: Sarah Michelle Gellar as the lovely lady in distress Daphne. Freddie Prinze Jr as the dumb hunk Fred and Scream geek Matthew l_illard as Shaggy. Expect haunted houses. creepy villains (namely Rowan Atkinsonl and big. big sandwiches.
SCI-Fl HORROR
Resident Evil
ETA 21 June
A big budget action flick adapted from the computer game of the same name by Britain's Paul Anderson (who has a little experience in this field having made Mortal Kombat). After a laboratOry accident a team of elite (aren't they always) soldiers led by Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez must do battle with a super computer gone rogue and a bunch of scientists who have been mutated into flesh-eating zombies. That's the plot. and don't expect much more of it. because this is a festival of ass-kicking all the way.
DARK THRILLER
Insomnia
ETA 27 September
This one ought to be great. Christopher Nolan. the young British director who made the almost excellent burglary thriller Fol/OWIng and the definitely Superb amneSia thriller Memento. remakes the quite terrific Norwegian chiller Insomnia. Al Pacino. Robin Williams lOK. go easy. he's not playing another kiddy doctorl and Hilary Swank take the leads in this story about a celebrated police detective who. during the investigation of the murder of a young girl. accidentally kills his partner and is subsequently blackmailed by a sadistic killer who witnessed the modem. Hopes. they is high.
SKATEBOARDER DOCUMENTARY
Dogtown And Z—Boys
ETA 5 July
Back in the 1970s a bunch of butt end California street kids took time out from surfing to revolutionise the ailing skateboard trend that had swept America a decade before. The stunts these boys pull With their boards makes the martial arts acrobatics of Croucning Tiger. Hidden Dragon look like a tortoise race. This film dOCuments the wild styles of the Zephyr skate team: and it rocks. Combining photography. archive film footage and a really loud music soundtrack. it's the most dynamic film yOu'll see this Summer.
COMIC ADAPTATION
Road To Perdition
ETA September
Who'd have thought it? After scoring big with his filmmakihg debut. American Beauty. Sam Mendes' second shot at Cinema is a comic book adaptation. Max Allan Collihs' graphic novel concerns a professional hitmah who starts to take things personally after his wife and son are murdered. It might sound like straight to Video trash. but. Mehdes aside. this film has buck loads of talent involved: Tom Hanks. Paul Newman. Jennifer Jason Leigh. Jude Law and veteran Cirieiiiatographer Conrad Hall l/n Cold Blood. Fat City. E/ectra Glide In Blue). Should look good. then.