Underworld did very impressive numbers at the box office this weekend, bringing in $22 million. That’s about a million bucks under what it cost to make it, which means it’s going to be a solid moneymaker. Expect Underworld 2 sometime in the next couple of years.
Half of me wonders if Mark Millar’s latest column isn’t a prank. But — Orson Wells as Batman (original)? In 1946? Millar mentions a Lionel Hutton as the source of the news, and there’s no trace of any Lionel Hutton on the Web. I’m thinking the column is a prank. But, hey; it’s a glorious concept, and I’ll dream of Dietrich as Catwoman tonight. (And Cagney as the Riddler. Yum.)
The Kill Bill watch continues with this review from John Tynes. He says it rocks, with incredible fight scenes, but it’s crippled by the decision to split it into two parts. He also says, quote: Speaking of executed, the film features more severings of hands, feet, arms, legs, and heads than I have perhaps ever seen in a film before. Kill Bill is all about the delirious geysers of blood. Bold statement from a man who, I believe, has seen Takeshi Miike movies.
The Movie Box has copies of the two new Kill Bill trailers (from the soundtrack CD). Not any spoilers we didn’t see in the first couple of trailers, lots of cool stuff, and a glimpse at an interesting cinematic technique I won’t spoil in case someone wants to be surprised in the theaters. I am so jazzed for this movie.
Now, see, if they’d done this (original) (warning: QuickTime ahead) in Footloose, Kevin Bacon wouldn’t have been so darned rebellious. Free State High School, in Lawrence, Kansas, has apparently been having a problem with “provocative” dancing. So they made a video to show students what sorts of things weren’t permissible. The dancer in the video, as it happens, is the school mascot in full costume.
Speaking of Quicksilver, Neal Stephenson has caused a Quicksilver wiki (original) to be generated. Clever man.
This is very sad. The Online Computer Library Center, who owns the Dewey Decimal System, is suing the Library Hotel. Apparently one’s not permitted to use the DDC without purchasing a license. Since Melvil Dewey first published the DDC in 1876, one would think that at least the early editions would have passed out of copyright, but perhaps there’s a wrinkle I don’t understand. It’s still a malicious, nasty lawsuit. “A person who came to their Web site and looked at the way (the hotel) is promoted and marketed would think they were passing themselves off as connected with the owner of the Dewey Decimal Classification system.” ...
Haven’t seen Underworld yet, but it’s in the theaters. Here’s one take on the similarities between White Wolf’s mythos and the movie. Here’s someone disagreeing (original). Maybe I’ll get out to see it this afternoon and chime in with my own thoughts. I’m getting PACER access so I can read the court documents, but once you request access they send you the password via regular mail so it may be a couple of days yet before I can go hunting for minutae.
I have no idea how Into The Night managed to show up on DVD without me noticing, but it’s about time. Best damned yuppie goes through hell movie ever.
Hey, kids, Warren Ellis is taking the pulse of the Internet again (original). He wants your picture. I sent him mine.