July 6th, 2009
TJ HOOKER is becoming a movie.
 It’s true. Variety has the scoop.
Chuck Russell (THE SCORPION KING, THE MASK) is in talks to direct. The writing team of Brent Maddock and S.S. Wilson will script the story, which focuses on the relationship between the title character and his father.
According to the story, “No actors have been cast yet for the feature,” but I think it’s safe to assume that original star William Shatner (along with co-stars Adrian Zmed and Heather Locklear) will not be squeezing back into the police uniforms for this movie. Though I’m sure they’ll be used in some sort of “ironic” cameo.
Personally, the only way I’d see this movie is if Shatner played both himself and his own father. Now there’s a concept huge enough for the big screen!
July 6th, 2009
Former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, nicknamed “the architect of the Vietnam War,” has died at the age of 93. He wasn’t a movie star, of course, but there is a fascinating movie about him. Errol Morris’ THE FOG OF WAR is really nothing but a long interview with McNamara, but it’s a compelling interview, and Morris uses some imaginative techniques to bring history to life. I highly recommend renting it when you get a chance.
Here’s the trailer…
July 6th, 2009
Over at Slate.com, Kevin Conley has come up with a smart angle on the usual summer action movie story. He’s asked a group of stunt professionals (who, after all, have a unique and uniquely close-up perspective) to pick their top action movies. Some have great stunts, some changed the business, and some are just favorites. But whatever the criteria, it’s a pretty interesting list with even more interesting insights. Here, for example, is why THE MATRIX earned a spot…
As (the stunt workers)Â explain it, producer Joel Silver traveled to China to beg a reluctant Yuen Wo-Ping, the action director for such kung fu classics as IRON MONKEY and FIST OF LEGEND, to choreograph the fighting in this movie, and Wo-Ping set ridiculous demands in the hopes that Silver would just go away: a huge budget, a ridiculous salary, and six months of training with the actors and stuntmen. Much to his surprise, Silver agreed to everything, and when the series became a blockbuster, the practice of hiring stuntmen for lengthy training and rehearsal periods took off.
And yes, there are You Tube links to most of the clips. Here, for example, is some impressive driving from the German TV series ALARM FUR COBRA 11…
