Wayne Kramer, the director of The Cooler and Running Scared, is set to helm Pretty Boy Floyd. The name Pretty Boy Floyd should sound familiar to those who saw Michael Mann‘s Public Enemies. Charles Arthur Pretty Boy Floyd was a character in Public Enemies and was played by Channing Tatum. He only had a brief scene before his screen time was abruptly ended by a bullet in the back from Christian Bale‘s character. [via The Playlist]
With the unexpected employ of David Slade behind the third Twilight film, Eclipse, plus the oddly violent and perverse subject matter of Stephanie Meyer’s fourth book, the potential for an honest adaptation with a strong director seems at once very possible and very doubtful.
Well, this is promising (if not slightly worrisome) news.
Crime auteur Michael Mann has expressed interest in taking control of the ever-popular vampire saga. He said as much in this quote to AICN yesterday:
Variety currently has an article up discussing the state of war films in the industry right now. Casually placed within is the statement that Michael Mann is still attached to direct For Whom the Bell Tolls. Read the full story
There was mention of the project yesterday on Production Weekly’s feed, but now Deadline has the full scoop on Ami Canaan Mann‘s directorial debut, The Fields. The drama, which stars Sam Worthington (Avatar, Clash of the Titans) is “based on a true story of a pair of detectives investigating a series of unsolved murders in a stretch of bayous near the oil refineries in coastal Texas where as many as 70 bodies have turned up over the past 30 years.” Don Ferrarone, a former top DEA operations wrote the script. Ferrarone has worked with Mann on Miami Vice and also has produced Bad Boys II, Man on Fire, Deja Vu, and The Taking of Pelham 123. Michael Mann, who is also producing the film, talked to Mike Fleming at Deadline and had this to say: Read the full story
Having established himself as a master of the seedy crime underworld, director Michael Mann has once again delivered an other prime example of the genre. In a summer that has been filled with an overwhelming amount of lackluster films, Public Enemies actually delivers.
The film revolves around bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and the golden age of crime (the Depressed 1930s), which the man helped define. Dillinger and his crew are looked upon graciously by some while despised by others, most notably the FBI. While living the high life of bank robbing, Dillinger becomes infatuated by Billie Frechette (Marion Cotilliard). Soon Dillinger is putting his life on the line for Frechette as the FBI gain on him and his crew, claiming him “public enemy number one.” Leading the investigation is Agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), the FBI’s best man.
In honor of Michael Mann’s crime drama Public Enemies being released this week I have compiled a list of my top 10 crime movies of the last decade.
10. Enemy of the State
Though it may be your typical Hollywood action/thriller, Enemy of the State provides a hard look at the dangers that come with surveillance and the need to protect ourselves 24/7. Will Smith (I Am Legend) and Gene Hackman (Behind Enemy Lines) both give top notch performances and Hackman who did a similar movie in the 70’s (The Conversation) does this movie true justice.
9. Lord of War Lord of War may have left just as quickly as it came at the box office but this war film starring Nicholas Cage (National Treasure) provides a very real look at the world of gun running and how it is an extremely grey area. After I saw this film I had a completely different perspective on war in general. It was amazing to think that my own government works with the same people that fuel wars that we try to prevent.
Identity is defined as the individual characteristics by which a person or thing is recognized. In the films Collateral and Miami ViceMichael Mann explores how identity is always fluctuating and that the “individual characteristics” by which we define ourselves are always changing, but our core selves remain the same. Almost like a computer, the software may be constantly changing but the hardware running it never does. Through the characters, story, and cinematography Mann exemplifies this.
In the mini documentary Miami Vice: Undercover from the Miami Vice DVD Michael Mann states “the best fabricated identity is yourself.” This idea that identity, though always changing, has a central core can be seen both in Collateral and Miami Vice. Mann’s main tool to portray this to the audience is through his characters. In the case of Max and Vincent, Mann shows us that even though they have the capability to take on each other’s personalities; their central selves remain the same. In the scene where Max plays Vincent in order to get Vincent’s hit list back, Max takes on the anti-hero role. While changing his attitude and confidence level, Max is simply using what he learned as a cab driver in a different circumstance. In the beginning of the film we see Max’s gift of observation when he immediately identifies Annie as a lawyer due to her appearance and actions. Later in the restaurant Max immediately knows that the body guard is reaching for his gun and warns him to put it away before he attacks him, Improvising to the set of his surroundings, his identity changes accordingly.
2008 was a great summer for the movies. Good entertainment was had, and not just dumb popcorn movies for once. We got The Dark Knight, Wall-E, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Iron Man, Tropic Thunder, and Pineapple Express. This summer is even going to be better. Although the start was a bit shaky with Wolverine, Star Trek kicks it off right this weekend. Here are the top 15 stand out films this summer:
15- Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen
Release Date- June 24th
Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen will inevitably offer no more then a lot of explosions and CGI, but with robots. While the first film wasn’t a landmark of any kind, and mostly dumb, it was fun none-the-less. The 147 minute running time for the new one is a bit bothersome, but long running times are fine when the story calls for it. My only question is do we really need to see robots fighting for that long? Its a Michael Bay movie, there will only be good action, nothing more. Even the length of the first movie was a problem, the last thirty minutes turned into nothing but repetitive action. Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen will without a doubt be a fun action movie, even if it extends its welcome.
Variety is reporting that Michael Mann’s Public Enemies will be publicly screened for the first time at the Los Angeles Film Festival, taking place between June 18-28.
MSN has just released a second trailer for Michael Mann’s Public Enemies starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and Marion Cotillard. Check it out below:
