Guillermo Leaves The Hobbit!

So I know I'm late on this but i did want put my two cents into the hat on this one.

I was never so happy about a film when I heard that fantasy movie GOD (If you doubt that check out his film Pan's Labyrinth) Guillermo Tel Doro was directing and co-writing the Lord of the Rings prequel with Peter Jackson. He was a perfect choice for this job. He has a great handle on creature design (again Pan's Labyrinth) and has worked exclusively in the fantasy genre his entire career. (Blade 2 might be a split hair)

A little over a week ago he announced through the site theonering.net that he was leaving the project after two years in pre-production. This made me sad! King Arthur being turned down by the Black Knight sad! (Monty Python reference ALERT)

Still after reading Guillermo's message I was happy to see that that awful generic phrase film makers always use when they leave projects didn't appear in his message. I speak of that disgraceful nonsecular "creative differences."

Guillermo did seem genuinely upset about this decision to leave the project and hopeful the resulting film will be good.
His creature and production design will still appear in the film and the screenplay is written by Guillermo and Lord of the Rings writers Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens.

The reasons he choose to leave the project seems quite reasonable. After two years on the project (he moved his life and family to New Zealand) they were no closer to getting the film made. After all this time cash strapped studio MGM still hadn't greenlit the film. Del Toro's frustration is well founded.
He also had commitments to projects with Universal. One is the very interesting prospect of a Del Toro version of Frankenstein. Another is his take on Pinocchio.

Del Toro's effect on the film will still very much evident in the finished film, but new director will obviously bring his/her own look too. The smart money now it on PJ to take over the project, which would of course be amazing, but the thought of the unmade Del Toro Hobbit film aches.

It stacks up against the great unmade films...Paul Greengrass's Watchmen, David Cronenberg's Total Recall, Terry Gilliam's Forrest Gump.

All these films were made eventually by other directors, my only hope is that whoever takes over the Hobbit from Del Toro honours his commitment to the project. With PJ still producing that is a fair bet...
Still only time will tell!

First Post on Film.....

So I was going to make my first film blog about the sad news that THE GREAT Guillermo Del Toro has dropped out of directing The Hobbit (I will give my thoughts on that sometime) But today an even worse thing has happened in the world of film....

THE FIRST ONE SHEET OF THE JACK BLACK GULLIVER'S TRAVELS APPEARED ONLINE!

First these modern versions of classic literature satires NEVER work. Don't believe me, check out any one of the million adaptations of Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

Second Jack Black's ridiculous posturing and annoying shouting is no place for Dean Swift's razor sharp political satire. What's he doing do scream in the face of 17th Century society, oh and then play his guitar....? GOD HELP US!!!!!

And for the love of Jesus, "Black is the New Big" WHAT??? For Christ sake...It'd almost as if the sycophantic money grabbing bastards who made this CRAP where only drawn to this masterpiece of a book because they can show the main character being tied down by little people....Argh But nah I'm being to cynical about this...Anyway below is the link to the stupid poster and you can see this hideous monstrosity when it opens in December...I'll be the one outside with the placard defending the integrity of one of Ireland's greatest writers...

http://www.totalfilm.com/news/gulliver-s-travels-gets-new-poster

Canadian Summer!

So its June 1 and the summer is here. HOLY CRAP! So according to the dashboard thingy on my mac book its now 28 C. The temp is getting higher and my Irish skin is starting to BURN...I have to slather myself up before I leave the house every time...Still it always nice to see the sun...I am taking precautions but the world involved is MAD! The winter clothes are gone away and I'm in shorts for three and a half months, milk bottle legs and all...

And don't even get me started on the humidity...HOW CAN IT BE 28 AND FEEL LIKE 33..??? shouldn't it be one or the other...??? Aaaaagh!

I miss Dun Loaghire Baths!

Enjoy the sun folks!

Hello and Welcome....

Hi All....
Welcome to my BLOG!

I thought a great deal about what I should call it and the idea of paraphrasing Sting seemed like an no-brainer. I would like to say I drink both coffee and tea, and take my toast done on both sides...

Any hoo, I am an alien, a legal alien. I am an Irishman in Toronto. (Doesn't really work, but try saying it now without the tune in your head...)

Just a bit about me I am from Ireland (Dublin, born bread and buttered, as the fella said) Now living in Toronto (or Tronno, I am practicing that one..) Moved to Kingston, ON in 2006, married my wonderful wife in 2007, reloacted to Toronto in 2008 and spent that last two years at film school.

Which brings me to the point of this BLOG. While I do have other interests and the overall purpose of me putting my musings out there is my wife and friends getting tired of my rantings on a whole range of issues (Living on foreign soil, TV, politics, books, movies, pop culture, cooking, current affairs) FILM is my main point of interest.

There will be a lot of film on this Blog...

Also there will be politics, TV, current events and cooking (I love to cook) Mostly though I will exorcise my feelings about living in a new country and the process of living away from home. Or now having two places to call home.

Right now summer is arriving in home number 2 and the temp is getting into the low 30's. That was culture shock number 1...But more about that later....

For now, Welcome. My name is Gregory Colin Breen, but please call me Greg and we'll get started.