Nicole Kidman is being purr-sued to play the title role in Warner Bros. Pictures' Catwoman, says The Hollywood Reporter While she has been offered the role, sources say she is waiting on the latest draft of the script before making any decisions.
Ashley Judd was attached to star in the project, which is being directed by French director Pitoff and produced by studio-based Di Novi Pictures.
The comic is about a cat-loving gymnast who runs an animal-grooming business. While she is a vulnerable woman, her alter ego, Catwoman, is superconfident and fights evil.
Kidman previously starred as Dr. Chase Meridian in 1995's Batman Forever.
Sounds terrific. Now that's the right role for her.
Man, Nicole Kidman is just busy with a capital B.
The script review I read sounds HORRIBLE. I hope that if it's the draft they're going with (and apparently they are), that she turns it down.
I'd hate to see her mired in some blockbuster crappola. It's really exciting to see her do so many types of movies...including the new Von Trier film. I wish Halle Berry (who incidentally is also being pursued for Catwoman) would make similar good choices.
alright! finally we have the first news of the week for yet another super hero movie. One can only guess in anticipation to what super hero will be revived next week for a movie. Nicole Kidman may be busy, but I am sure Stan Lee is digging through his files trying to find every single reject super hero he made up and that hasn't had a movie made in the last twenty years. The movie industry needs this man because the screenwriters are all faultering in producing bad ideas.
And yes, I know Catwoman is not Stan's creation. But they are all the same anyways.
~rougerum
Get outside it, Gold Trumpet. The world needs all the superheroes it can find! Personally I find that fascinating.
The stupidity of the super hero obsession will be realized by all when Captain Planet is finally made into a movie.
~rougerum
From Variety Report 02/04/03:
Hot off the new Terminator film, strong-man Arnold "Arnie" Schwarzenegger has been approached for the lead role in the new film "Captain Planet and the Planeteers".
Ron Howard is slated to direct with a release date aimed at winter 2004. No word yet on the casting of the planeteers.
I hope Catwoman is as dark as Batman Returns, or darker. I think I want Kidman to get it, she hot and hopefully she keeps the accent.
From Batman On Film:
The [Catwoman] screenplay has been worked on by both Kate Kondell [Legally Blonde 2] and John Rogers [American Outlaws, The Core]. Owen Wilson has signed on to play a new character called Tom Lone.
Does Owen Wilson have any judgement between the a bad screenplay and a good one before he signs to do these movies?
~rougerum
Source: Variety
It appears as if Ashley Judd is officially out of CATWOMAN, opting instead for another feline project, a Broadway revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." Judd will make her Broadway debut this fall in the Tennessee Williams play with Mark Ruffalo (THE CASTLE) circling Brick, the male lead. Warner Bros is looking to start CATWOMAN late summer/early fall with director Pitof behind the camera, and that timeframe would conflict with Judd's stage schedule.
The studio had been dragging its heels with CATWOMAN, a possible reason for Judd's exit, but recently sparked to a new rewrite of the original John Rogers script by Mike Ferris and John Brancato (TERMINATOR 3). WB offered Nicole Kidman the role and is awaiting the star's decision. Halle Berry was another name that came up during casting suggestions for the new, non-Michelle Pfeiffer CATWOMAN. This is one of many BATMAN-related projects in development at Warners including Christopher Nolan's BATMAN project and the now defunct BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN. WB is looking to get back in the comic book game after the mighty success of SPIDER-MAN. SUPERMAN will be the studio's next foray into the superhero world, a project that is aiming for a 2004 release.
Halle Berry Close to Catwoman Deal!
According to Variety, Warner Bros. has set Halle Berry to play the felonious feline in Catwoman, which French helmer Pitof (Vidocq) will direct later this year. Ashley Judd was previously attached but dropped out due to a play.
The studio has been sweet on Berry for the job for the past two weeks. While no deal has been made, Berry is expected to get her claws into the part quickly. She'd be the second black woman to play Catwoman, as Eartha Kitt did the role in the 1960s TV series.
The film was scripted by John Rogers and rewritten by Mike Ferris and John Brancato.
It gets better all the time. Am so off Kidman now I've decided she's crap.
Quote from: budgieIt gets better all the time. Am so off Kidman now I've decided she's crap.
I knew it all along.
WOW! Showing her titties has really worked out for Halle Berry!
Pitof on the Catwoman Adaptation
Allocine.fr had posted a new interview with director Pitof who's set to take Catwoman to the big screen with Halle Berry starring.
AlloCiné: How does a French director find himself in charge of a project like "Catwoman"?
Pitof: I don't know (laughs). After the incredible experience of "Alien Resurrection" (Note to reader: where he was in charge of visual effects), I had the urge to steer towards the Hollywood studios. That opportunity finally arrived with an assistant of my American agent who had shopped Vidocq (film title) to several producers...And that's how I became connected to Catwoman
AlloCiné: What stage of preproduction is "Catwoman" currently in?
Pitof: For the moment, the film is still in development. We have Halle Berry interested in starring. Things are moving ahead, but I really can't tell you much more: the script isn't finished yet, and things are still a bit crazy. We hope to start filming in fall 2003 for a summer 2004 opening at least.
AlloCiné: Do you think you might call some of your friends from Duboi for certain f/x?
Pitof: We are currently evaluating how to work with French and foreign partners for special effects. This is clearly the subject of the day (Note to reader: Pitof was leaving for Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles once we finished this telephone interview).
AlloCiné: With "Vidocq", it appeared that you had already used the superhero theme...do you think that's what showed Warners that you were the man for the job?
Pitof: Absolutely. Vidocq could absolutely be seen as a superhero with a French theme. At the same time, I don't think that it was a major factor in the studios decision to hire me, it was more the universe of the film and the unique imagery and design that attracted Warners.
AlloCiné: Let's talk about the character, made ultimately popular with "Batman Returns" How are you going to approach the character?
Pitof: Catwoman is a superhero with a strong foundation but also the traits of a cat like night vision, the ability to easily jump like a cat, a completely different instinct as well as many other abilities that make her superhuman. She also knows that she doesn't have Superman's powers and that she is bound by the laws of physics.
She's also a super heroin who transcends comics. She's a sex symbol of cat-like femininity, which to my sense is on an entirely different path than that of traditional superheroes. Also, unlike other superheroes where there is only ONE Superman or ONE Batman, le concept of multiple Catwomen has existed since the beginning that any woman could be Catwoman.
Now the idea is to develop this character in a relatively realistic world à la Spider-Man. We'll probably set it in the near future but in a North American urban setting, which is more classic. The main idea is to develop a female superhero and give her depth not to make her a bimbo or a sexy vigilante. She's a woman's hero for women.
AlloCiné: For the audience, the character of Catwoman remains Michelle Pfeiffer in that sexy vinyl outfit of "Batman Returns". How are you going to try to get away from that icon?
Pitof: It's always difficult when you have such an icon or symbol, but everything is going to be different: there will be no direct link with Batman, nor will there be Batman-esque imagery and it won't be set in Gotham City. The story will be different and the costume will be different. We aren't keeping anything from Catwoman except the original idea: the character. The idea is to begin her story from scratch, and possibly begin a franchise.
AlloCiné: Hally Berry has recently been signed to be your star, why such a decision?
Pitof: First of all because she is an excellent actress. We also needed someone who could equally give the convincing performance of two distinct personalities: the cat and the woman. This woman must be able to convey by way of her face and body language the feeling of a feline, which Hally Berry definitely has.
AlloCiné: What do you make of the sudden mass interest in comic book adaptations: new superheroes for the American public, lots of money for the studios or true artistic interest in very interesting and profound characters?
Pitof: I think it a mix of all three. There really is an interest in the characters and with the digital technology, which is now able to really breath life into them. Until now, the television shows and cartoon series were always a bit campy, and we kept the superheroes in that realm. Now, we have the technology to really make these characters exciting in a realistic manner, et finally put onto film exactly what we've been imagining since we began reading the comics.
I think that this new wave of interest isn't going to quell any time soon, since the audiences haven't quite had enough as yet of these characters and their worlds.
This is a two-man team, which continues their manufacture: one part studio/production/creators and the other part is the public.
AlloCiné: Let's talk about the audience: Warner Bros. is going to try and make "Catwoman", a new "Superman" and at least two new "Batman" movies. Isn't there a risk of superhero "overdose" or overkill with the superhero genre?
Pitof: I don't think so since every time the audience is just a little bit different: the Batman audience isn't necessarily the same that say "Catwoman" or "Superman" would have. I think that there might be too much at some point, but the audience always wants more as we can see with "Daredevil" because these films follow a formula that we know we are going to see, and enjoy. So it's really, in quotation marks, an entertainment standard without too many surprises.
AlloCiné: According to you, what makes a good superhero movie and what makes a bad one?
Pitof: A good one is one that meets our expectations, and must be as true to it's origins without being limited by them. This is a difficult task: You have to keep the character true to the original comic and make them believable without going below the audience's expectations. The best example is Spider-Man: Sam Raimi added something to the original with the unexpected casting of Tobey Maguire while keeping with the laws of the spider man character.
AlloCiné: You're currently developing this film in Hollywood. How is the American film industry different than our French one?
Pitof: The answer is in your question! We're talking apples and oranges. In France, movies are more artistic, while in Los Angeles, the industry is geared towards making money. They are completely different. I thank Jean-Pierre Jeunet for having given me experience so that I could understand the nuts and bolts of the industry (note to reader: experience on Alien Resurrection).
In Hollywood, the producer has no power: he's an employee just like anyone else. I am in a "positive phase" where the studio asks my opinion on what I will do, knowing that the entire project is still in development. But, once that's over with, if I can only direct exactly what they want and nothing else, I'll thank them and return to France. That's how this system is, which is obviously stressful, especially at the control level because we have all this freedom at the beginning, but if the studio isn't seeing exactly what they want "good-bye"
Catwoman: Halle Berry will go prowling throughout September till December which is when principal photography is set to get underway at Lions Gate Film Studios in North Vancouver according to Hollywood North Report. Pre-production offices begin activity next week on the "Batman" spin-off, and this news marks a significant move for the studio as despite all the talk about "Superman" and "Batman" revivals - neither of those project ever advanced this far, making this the first comic adaptation for Warners & DC since 1997's "Batman & Robin". Things aren't too settled though as according to Filmjerk it seems scribe Ed Solomon ("Men in Black", "Charlie's Angels") has been brought in for a "tear-down-and-build-again-from-the-ground-up" new script to replace that of the current draft penned by John Rogers and polished by John Brancato and Mike Ferris. The previous script made headlines a while back when one of the early drafts leaked out and scored a tepid response from reviewers, as well as revealing that aside from the title name there would have no connection with the "Batman" franchise. Since then however many writers (at least a half dozen at last count) have had a crack at making it work and it seems have failed, prompting Solomon's hiring although he has just two months to knock out a workable draft before the cameras role on the Pitof-directed film which is aiming for a July 30th, 2004 release.
the lions gate studios in north van are really nice, but they're hard to get into. they're gated off like any other regular batch of soundstages/studios but they're surrounded with prickly bushes and really, really tall trees. and the soundstages have big numbers on them, like
7
ugh, i had hoped this project would fall into some sort of trouble before it would go into production. halle berrys got nothing on this...
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.superherophotos.net%2Fbatman%2Fbatfoes%2Fcatwoman%2Fcatjulie.jpg&hash=0e8d35b086a88582ada97820db0ec155919bcbee)
I think the only way a Catwoman movie could be done right, is really dark and lots of nudity, and Im not just saying that in the usual perverted comedic way, it is a prerequisite to a good catwoman film. But expect the movie Daredevil with different costumes.
Quote from: Duck SauceBut expect the movie Daredevil with different costumes.
I am. and i am constantly cleaning up my own puke because of this. :?
damn everyone loves to slam on DD. I liked it.
Why the fuck Halle Berry for Catwoman? Why? Must Halle Berry be cast in every so-called sexy role for the next 5 years just because she showed her tits in a junkpile movie?
She just doesn't really do anything for me. Now when Michelle was Catwoman, that was hot. Unfortunately she's too old now...
Quote from: SoNowThenWhy the fuck Halle Berry for Catwoman? Why? Must Halle Berry be cast in every so-called sexy role for the next 5 years just because she showed her tits in a junkpile movie?
She just doesn't really do anything for me. Now when Michelle was Catwoman, that was hot. Unfortunately she's too old now...
agreed.
I didn't think Monster's Ball was a junkpile movie (or were you referring to Swordfish?), but man...I think she's a good actress, if she gets the right role, but I was hoping that the Oscar would push her towards QUALITY roles, not just high-profile event roles. Her performance in Die Another Day just reeked of "I won an Oscar and I'm hot, so there." I think maybe she'd be good as Catwoman (she looks just like Catwoman from Frank Miller's Batman Year One), but why does she need to do it at all? The various scripts that have been written so far have been AWFUL.
She was good in X2 though.
And for the record, I hated Daredevil too. But I won't hold your liking it against you, Banky!
i think something very eerie happens when guys here are being nice to Banky because he appears to be a hot girl. (hey, just like in real life!) something about the psychology of talking to someone, who when you get the picture of them in your head, is a girl, (but in reality is not), is very creepy and starting to take its toll on this board.
MEANING: its difficult to have an argument with someone who looks like christina aguileras shiny ass. does anyone else see this growing problem?
banky, im begging you, you've got to change it!
Don't change it! Don't change it! I still respect you for your intelligence!
:lol: :?
banky liked daredevil because he has a hard on for kevin smith and ben affleck.
Is Halle Berry only going to do action/super hero movies for awhile or do you think shell try her hand at some more drama or even more artsy movies
Guide, The (2004) (in production) .... Jane Whitefield
Need (2004) (in production)
Nappily Ever After (2004) (announced) .... Venus Johnson
Catwoman (2004) (pre-production) .... Patience Price/Catwoman
Robots (2005) (filming) (voice) .... Cappy
Set-Up, The (2003) (filming)
Gothika (2003) (post-production) .... Dr. Miranda Grey
personally i think that Nappily Ever After will win her her second oscar. (the one long overdue since she was snubbed for BAPS and THE FLINSTONES).
Sharon Stone the Female Villain in Catwoman!
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Warner Bros. Pictures has offered Sharon Stone a starring role as the female villain in Catwoman. The part would pit her against Halle Berry, who's set for the title role. Stone is expected to sign on to the film, which is being directed by French helmer Pitof.
If Stone does accept, she would play Laurel, who is both the public face of a cosmetics company as well as the brains behind an evil operation she runs with her husband.
The production also has its eye on Josh Lucas for the role of Detective Lone, Catwoman's love interest.
Benjamin Bratt Joins Catwoman Cast
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Variety
Benjamin Bratt will play Halle Berry's love interest in Catwoman, the Warner Bros. adaptation of the DC Comics character. The film begins shooting September 29 with French director Pitof at the helm.
The movie, set in Lake City, is the story of Patience Price (Berry), a veterinary scientist who takes on the identity of Catwoman in her fight against the evil plots of the cosmetics company for which she works. The firm is a front for the criminal exploits of the husband and wife team that run it.
Bratt will play Detective Tom Lone, who falls in love with Price. Also on board are Sharon Stone as Laurel, the villainous cosmetics magnate, and French actor Lambert Wilson (The Matrix Reloaded) as Georges, her evil husband.
Halle Berry as Catwoman. Gay. Give me Michelle back.
Quote from: SoNowThenHalle Berry as Catwoman. Gay. Give me Michelle back.
Amen brother.
http://www.allmovieportal.com/o/pfieffer/mp67.htm
Apocalypse Now
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.thesun.co.uk%2Fpicture%2F0%2C%2C2003450546%2C00.jpg&hash=1f313a7397ffe1e9803f360eeef4f38a676dea9d)
I hope this was a joke. It was in Time magazine though.
Ehhh. That costume could work onscreen, but I really don't give a damn either way. The plot of the movie sounds so laboriously awful that I'd rather just not think about this being made.
pathetic
Talk about devolving comic based movies to the days of The Punisher and Captain America...
Who greenlights this shit?
I'm in shock how godawful that costume is. Looks more like The Gimp from 'Pulp'. Seriously, what the fuck!
More Catwoman pics Sep. 30, 2003
Source: The Sun by: Mike Sampson
When I saw the first released image of the costume from CATWOMAN I groaned, kinda laughed and then shook my head in disbelief. How could such an awful decision be made? And I don't mean the costume, I mean releasing such an obviously awful photo of an obviously awful costume to one of the largest publications (Time Magazine) in the US. The argument in defense of the costume was that it's early and it was just a test shot. Fine! Don't release the picture and get all the fans worked up into a frenzy. Boy what a way to build bad buzz early. I have seen some crazy looking things in my life but that Catwoman costume...that might take the cake. My favorite part was the comments by Halle Berry to accompany the shot. She said the costume was "very urban, very downtown." Isn't this the woman who was vocally upset by the look of Storm in the first X-MEN? Did she not look at herself in the mirror?
At this point, I just have to think that the studio is kidding with us. They're all sitting around the offices laughing their asses off going, "They actually think we'd greenlight a movie with this cosutme! HAHAHA!" I mean this is the studio that was smart enough to cast Christian Bale in BATMAN right? They couldn't possibly let this costume slide. Could they? I'm hoping it's some cruel joke and as some evidence, here are some more shots from the Vancouver set. The final shot is Berry in her Catwoman costume that strangely looks nothing like the one in Time. It's more Pfieffer-esque. So if you were just foolin with us WB...now's the time to fess up and come forward. Or at least release a better shot...
go to www.joblo.com for the pics
What a fuck up of a costume. Thats not a comicbook costume, that is something Britney Spears would wear to the VMAs with a mask attached. There goes this movie..... too bad too, the one in Batman Returns was so well done.....
i wanted ashley judd
Is somebody going to start an "Orson Welles' Catwoman" thread, or is it up to me? :wink:
Catwoman: A scoop on the Halle Berry flick hit the other day on "The Daivd Letterman Show" of all places. Whilst talking with Dave, Berry spoke a little about the role and more importantly how it fits into the context of the other Catwoman/Batman universe. First up its confirmed there's no special 'powers' for the character: "She can fight. She fights like a cat. You know, she doesn't have anything super-human, y'know? But she can do anything a healthy good tiger can do...she can do". The origin? "Well, she dies, like all the other Cat-Women...she dies and is reborn a Cat-Woman. But what's interesting about the take on this movie, is that we're not saying that my version of Catwoman is the only Catwoman...She is one of an army (of what we believe) of nine Cat-Women, so we leave room for Eartha Kitt, who was a great Catwoman, and Michelle Pfeifer, who was another awesome Catwoman. And I'm just another Catwoman, because we believe that there are nine".
umm correct me if i'm wrong, but "all other catwomen" dont die and get re-born. what the hell is she rambling on about?
oh dear
Quote from: themodernage02Catwoman: A scoop on the Halle Berry flick hit the other day on "The Daivd Letterman Show" of all places. Whilst talking with Dave, Berry spoke a little about the role and more importantly how it fits into the context of the other Catwoman/Batman universe. First up its confirmed there's no special 'powers' for the character: "She can fight. She fights like a cat. You know, she doesn't have anything super-human, y'know? But she can do anything a healthy good tiger can do...she can do". The origin? "Well, she dies, like all the other Cat-Women...she dies and is reborn a Cat-Woman. But what's interesting about the take on this movie, is that we're not saying that my version of Catwoman is the only Catwoman...She is one of an army (of what we believe) of nine Cat-Women, so we leave room for Eartha Kitt, who was a great Catwoman, and Michelle Pfeifer, who was another awesome Catwoman. And I'm just another Catwoman, because we believe that there are nine".
umm correct me if i'm wrong, but "all other catwomen" dont die and get re-born. what the hell is she rambling on about?
I think she was referring to the Michelle Pfieffer Catwoman, who supposedly 'died' by being thrown out of the window and revived by cats. She may also be referring to the 9 lives in Batman Returns (remember Christopher Walkens character continuing to shoot her while she counts "good girls go to...eight") But, I believe, Batman Returns' Catwoman is the only one to supposedly die. Correct me if it is in the comics.
Then again, Halle probably didn't know what she was talking about.
Quote from: Ceciloh dear
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmembers.fortunecity.com%2Fthemodernage%2Fcatberry1.jpg&hash=67a04ed490265264b2971bfadd0784626bd94401)
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmembers.fortunecity.com%2Fthemodernage%2Fcatberry2.jpg&hash=940ddd8920a7fe7e92454b1675d6d8566d2a5c65)
that is some cheesy shit
It's amazing! Not a single word can be spoken about this film without making it seem even more astronomically terrible! Wow.
Also, I think Halle Berry is kinda dim. She's a good actress -- great, with the right material -- but whenever I hear her talk outside of a performance, it's a little worriesome.
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chud.com%2Fgraphics9%2Fcattease.jpg&hash=9b8c651dd18b131bb8acb1c73decb6d9e064f59e)
Quote from: EEz28(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chud.com%2Fgraphics9%2Fcattease.jpg&hash=9b8c651dd18b131bb8acb1c73decb6d9e064f59e)
I like the outfit!
No rougerumy! I steal it!
~picoulbrum
Got some pretty scary news regarding the surprisingly "troubled" Catwoman project,I say surprisingly because everyone involved seemed to think that this was the correct direction for the project to go, That was until they realized it sucks. It seems from what I'm hearing even long term producer Denise De Novi is having second thoughts on everything from the script to director. Evidently the bad blood started about 4 weeks ago in Vancouver, Arguments were being made over the reaction the film has gotten so far from the Internet and other bad press, the initial Catwoman costume picture had a lot to do with this. The critical lambasting worried Warner a lot, So much they started to fear that this film could hurt the upcoming Batman film if it had bad word of mouth at this early in the game (Before people had even seen it) Will people still flock to the theaters to see Batman if Catwoman bitters their taste?
After all Batman Returns isn't that old of a film, People still know that they are supposed to be connected (No matter what this new film says ). Quick changes were ORDERED (not asked) to the script and costume to try and fix or change the film to resemble something more in line with the what people may expect. Slowly and quietly the new (Simpler and more biker chickish) costume was reveled through internet "Leaked" photos and Patience Price suddenly became Patience Philips. Rumor has it that this Catwoman will also find out that Selina Kyle is her mother, Who has died. ( A reference to a much earlier draft of the script. ) The reason for these changes? From what I gather it boils down to a few things, Bad press from the netfans, Yes Believe it or not the WB has started to care about what Internet fans think. Hence Christian Bale getting cast, trust me, Batfans had a Lot to do with that.
The horrible reaction to the first PIC of Hallie Berry as Catwoman. And in fact Berry's own comments on a late night talk show mentioning something about "9 Catwomen all together since the comic first started until now, Including all the actors who portrayed her. UGH"
PITOF IS P.O.'D
That's what I'm hearing, PITOF was forced by WB and De Novi to make the changes to the film. He wanted this film to not resemble the comics at all, He was going for his artistic merit I guess. Pitof gave in, But not after things got very heated between him, De Novi and a Studio Exc.
The next blow to this film came in the form of dailies. Some of the footage from Vancouver didn't seem to impress some of the suits, to be fair some thought it was good. Some are saying the boss' were just giving Pitof a hard time because of his attitude about the ordered changes.
Nothing is very clear.
What stands now is a strange situation and Pifof may have the troubled Exorcist prequel to thank for him keeping his job. At least fo! r the time being. Just a quick recap of that project, The Exorcist: The Beginning has been in the works for a few years, John Frankenhimer was supposed to direct but stepped out shortly before his death. Shortly after Paul Schrade was hired to direct and changed the cast and script around and delivered the film to WB, For some reason they hated it. Rumors about Schrade making it completely his film and not what the studio wanted.
Now, The film has been taken away from Schrade and Director Renny Harlin has been hired to film new scenes to "enhance' the film. This has proven a costly and negative look on a film that is in some people's opinion unesscerary. Now can you see the simerlarties to the Catwoman project? Why the sudden flow of information from WB?
Notice the massive amounts of photos on the net (Showing just how great the production is going, How cool does the new suit look) They are trying to keep what happened to the Exorcist from happening to Catwoman. The pre-release bad word of mouth on the Exorcist has already started, they are hoping for the best for Catwoman. The reason why PITOF hasn't been fired is because they don't want to be known as the Troubled project studio who takes away every concept film from artistic directors.
Basically the way things look are as such, Since Principle photography is near completion WB has decided to let PITOF Finnish Catwoman without any further changes. Now after that PITOF is supposed to have a visual presentation featuring early edited footage for Wb, They will then make their decision on whether they care for his "Vision" or not. I've also been hearing that WB has hired some writers to start working on a plan to make the script feel more like the comic-book version of Catwoman by adding new/alterante scenes if needed by a new director if the WB decides to go the Exorcist route. Haven't heard any names for a possible replacement, because it's far to early to see if that is ev! en needed but these rewrites will certainly help the film if PITOF is axed,
Also been hearing that Berry has been contacted about leaving a few weeks in the spring open for reshoots if needed. This film may be pushed back for a year if PITOF doesn't impress the suits. The WB is worried about this project because 1. It's their first comic book film since 1997's Batman & Robin and Steel and 2. Catwoman is a character in the Batman Universe, It's taken 7 years to get a Batman film going that will please fans, They don't want to ruin that by releasing Catwoman a year before Nolan's film and pissing everyone off. I've also heard WB may push the reshoots and release the film after Nolan's Batman film.
This whole ordeal makes me sad. If they just would have stuck to the comics (or even the cartoon), none of this would have happened. Selina Kyle was the Catwoman. If they wanted to do a 'Birds of Prey" thing, they should have come right out and called the project something else. Do you know what Selina was in the comic Batman: Year One? She was a prostitute, not a scientist. I agree that the outfit was also horrific and that Michelle Pfieffer ruled as Catwoman in Batman Returns. I'm frustrated with this whole idea. Catwoman was one of my favorite characters in the Batman universe, I hate to see a movie involving the character suck.
Halle Berry 'just fine' after accident
Actress collided with equipment on 'Catwoman' set
Wednesday, January 28, 2004 Posted: 10:39 AM EST (1539 GMT)
Halle Berry
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Halle Berry was taken to a hospital after colliding with a piece of set equipment while filming a running scene for "Catwoman" but is now back at work, production spokesman Joe Everett said.
The accident was minor, Everett said Tuesday, denying reports that the Oscar-winning "Monster's Ball" actress was hit in the head with a microphone boom and spent six hours in a hospital waiting room.
"She had to maneuver past a piece of equipment, a set piece, and she didn't quite run past it, but she's just fine," he said. "She was taken to hospital Saturday night, treated and released and was at work again Monday morning."
Berry, 35, broke her arm last year while shooting "Gothika" in Montreal and injured her eye on the set of "Die Another Day."
"Catwoman" is based on the DC Comics character who's often the love interest of Batman. The film is scheduled to come out June 30. DC Comics is a unit of Time Warner.
Haha, I just read this somewhere and laughed really hard at how much of a clutz she is.
This is your Catwoman, America.
Quote from: Gloriabut is now back at work,
damn it.
First Video of Halle in Character as Catwoman
While Halle Berry couldn't make it down for Oprah Winfrey's 50th birthday celebration show today, she did leave her a video greeting and it's your first live-action look at her in character as Catwoman. That video segment was replayed by Access Hollywood, captured by Halle's fans and brought online for you to check out here (http://www.hallemariaberry.com/catwoman.ram) (RealPlayer). The big screen adaptation opens July 30.
That video made me physically ill..... :yabbse-lipsrsealed:
I have just lost any hope for this movie. As a fan of Catwoman and a human being....I am really, really insulted.
Quote from: themodernage02"She can fight. She fights like a cat. You know, she doesn't have anything super-human, y'know? But she can do anything a healthy good tiger can do...she can do". The origin? "Well, she dies, like all the other Cat-Women...she dies and is reborn a Cat-Woman. But what's interesting about the take on this movie, is that we're not saying that my version of Catwoman is the only Catwoman...She is one of an army (of what we believe) of nine Cat-Women, so we leave room for Eartha Kitt, who was a great Catwoman, and Michelle Pfeifer, who was another awesome Catwoman. And I'm just another Catwoman, because we believe that there are nine".
hahahhhahaah......9 lives ........the way she speaks about her part in this film reminds me of a kid who flushed his ritalin down the toilet and just discovered magic cards and transformers......
am i the only one completely put off by halle berry?
also am i the only one who notices that every time she is "acting" she's thinking " i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black i'm black ".
it puts me off. and she's plain looking. god i wish her 15minutes were over.
Quote from: Pam i the only one completely put off by halle berry?
no.
I loved her in Monster's Ball. Then she won her Oscar. Now I groan when I see her, hear her name, or hear that she's signed onto a new movie from the director of A Perfect Score or Radio (which she has, but I can never keep either of those Tollins/Robbins guys straight).
Quote from: GhostboyI loved her in Monster's Ball. Then she won her Oscar.
I agree. Her MB performance wasn't overrated, but she is.
CAUTION: ONLY SUGGESTED FOR ANYONE WHO RECENTLY INGESTED POISON AND NEEDS TO VOMIT QUICK!!!
http://www.hallemariaberry.com/video2004.html
this is gonna be her gigli
Banky, how was Jersey Girl!??!
Quote from: Bankythis is gonna be her gigli
More like her end of her career
I really think there should be some "Public Veto" system for Hollywood movies. Like, at the beginning of every year, they post their summaries for each and the public gets to vote out two or three for the year.
Maybe then we wouldn't have films like "You Got Served," "Kangaroo Jack" and... ultimately "Catwoman."
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.empireonline.co.uk%2Fsite%2Fimages%2Fimage_index%2F2226.jpg&hash=c58d88194122251fc261fabe8ebfcebe6fd8f2d5)
Quote from: The Stalwart PeonI really think there should be some "Public Veto" system for Hollywood movies. Like, at the beginning of every year, they post their summaries for each and the public gets to vote out two or three for the year.
Maybe then we wouldn't have films like "You Got Served," "Kangaroo Jack" and... ultimately "Catwoman."
Nah, didn't the first two debut at number 1? It would probably be "those depressing French films" that get voted out.
we should just move this whole thread into the WHY GOD WHY?! FILMS THAT SHOULD NOT GET THE GREENLIGHT.
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcatwoman.warnerbros.com%2Fimg%2Fonesheet.jpg&hash=13518c213ebf786f37487ab8b7c21abe92d07429)
Halle Berry files for divorce
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Actress Halle Berry has filed for divorce from her husband, R&B singer Eric Benet, a spokeswoman said.
Publicist Karen Samfilippo confirmed the filing Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court but declined to comment.
The couple were married about three years and separated in October. This is the second divorce for the actress, who was previously married to former baseball outfielder David Justice.
Tabloids speculated about Benet's faithfulness from nearly the moment the "X-Men" star married Benet in January 2001.
The two met in 1999 at a party to celebrate the premiere of Berry's HBO movie "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge," about the first black woman nominated for a best-actress Oscar with 1954's "Carmen Jones."
Berry won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for the Dandridge role. She then became the first black woman to win a best-actress Oscar for her work in 2001's "Monster's Ball."
Benet has a young daughter, India, from a previous relationship with a girlfriend who was killed in car crash 15 months after the girl was born.
His first album, "True to Myself," was released in 1996. He has had such hits as "Spend My Life With You" and "Love Don't Love Me."
i only hav one thing to say about those posters.. JUMP ALREADY
the words JULY 2004 have never appeared more like a THREAT before...
wait...one of those posters says 8-6-04 and another says JULY 2004.
Quote from: Pubricki only hav one thing to say about those posters.. JUMP ALREADY
It wouldn't do any good. Don't you know cats have nine lives?
Quote from: El Duderinowait...one of those posters says 8-6-04 and another says JULY 2004.
WB bumped it up after "Constantine" was delayed until next year.
Quote from: MacGuffinQuote from: El Duderinowait...one of those posters says 8-6-04 and another says JULY 2004.
WB bumped it up after "Constantine" was delayed until next year.
oohh....gotcha.
Trailer here (http://pdl.warnerbros.com/wbmovies/catwoman/trailer/trailer_hi/trailer_a.mov).
i don't want a teaser. i want to hear them say dialogue. it will be much funnier that way.
yeah, that sucks. one comic book character per actor/actress, that should be a rule.
I want to give Halle Berry anal.
Quote from: 1976I want to give Halle Berry anal.
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hallemedia.com%2Fnews%2Fnews_pics%2Ffred4.jpg&hash=b5e73bdb85c397915c2498f9d7b67f98722ef8c1)
"you bests wait for your turn boyeeeeee"
Quote from: GloriaHalle Berry 'just fine' after accident
Actress collided with equipment on 'Catwoman' set
Wednesday, January 28, 2004 Posted: 10:39 AM EST (1539 GMT)
Halle Berry
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Halle Berry was taken to a hospital after colliding with a piece of set equipment while filming a running scene for "Catwoman" but is now back at work, production spokesman Joe Everett said.
The accident was minor, Everett said Tuesday, denying reports that the Oscar-winning "Monster's Ball" actress was hit in the head with a microphone boom and spent six hours in a hospital waiting room.
"She had to maneuver past a piece of equipment, a set piece, and she didn't quite run past it, but she's just fine," he said. "She was taken to hospital Saturday night, treated and released and was at work again Monday morning."
Berry, 35, broke her arm last year while shooting "Gothika" in Montreal and injured her eye on the set of "Die Another Day."
"Catwoman" is based on the DC Comics character who's often the love interest of Batman. The film is scheduled to come out June 30. DC Comics is a unit of Time Warner.
:lol:
I'm nearly speechless...
Yeah, that was over 3 months ago..
Perhaps it took him this long to gather his words?
International Poster:
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbm.img.com.ua%2Fkino%2Fslide%2Fbig%2F4195_0.jpg&hash=80e640795ed50c75bd7ca2af6b7dd31ce75310ab)
Haha, it looks more and more like a parody every single day.
I think French directors are awesome.
... just not when Halle Berry works with them. This "Pitof" guy and Mattieu Kassovitz (probably didn't spell that correctly)... well, I can't imagine that Catwoman and Gothika wouldn't be their worst movies.
And WHY does Halle Berry talk like that as Catwoman?? It's not even like a cat! It's like she's trying to sound like a creepy old woman. (something along the lines of...) "Last night, you killed a girl... she was a good girl..." PSHAW!
And the "Cream, straight up??" PSHAW, I say!
Okay done venting for the moment. (And YES, I can rag on this movie before it even opens because it's mother... fucking... Catwoman... starring Halle Berry as directed by Pitof, and that's all I need to know to judge this movie.)
According to a rather disturbing trailer I saw before Harry Potter, CATWOMAN will be released in IMAX format at the same time as the standard theatrical release. The 1000+ audience's reaction to this trailer was DEAD SILENCE. After the gales of hysterical laughter that has accompanied the White Chicks trailer every time I see it (from everyone else but me), this has given me some hope.
Trailer Here (http://www.themoviebox.net/movies/2004/0-9ABC/Catwoman/trailer-page.html)
It was a lively crowd at the Spider-Man 2 midnight screening (although in a good way, with cheers and laughter at the appropriate times), and RIGHT WHEN the trailer for Catwoman started playing, giant BOOS came from the audience.
Haha, it made me smile, cuz the trailer is horrible and I wasn't alone in my assessment. How sad for Catwoman, though. Just loud booing all around. Haha... good times.
The Los Angeles Times (Kevin Thomas) actually gave this a positive review.
I suppose I should reserve judgement until I see this, but that seems scary.
... oh my gosh, this film was phucking awesome........i just got back from it and i still have chills running up and down my spine so please forgive me for typos et al..but as soon as the titles began i knew that this film was going to be the killer/sleeper hit of the summer both commercially and critically, ...........damn, its was the best titles since se7en...........i dont want to spoil it too much but lets just say that halle berry is the greatest female actress of our generation....flat out....she phucking rules the screen... everytime she delivered the brilliant dialogue i almost cried....just beautiful....i just didnt realize how monsters ball was such a marvelous precurssor to catwoman.......and yes, this ranks up there w/ the best of the comic book films.......but i need to get back to miss. berry, i know this sounds stupid but i think she might have employed some "method acting" to this film and her part...b/c at times when she "transformed" into the cat..i almost though she was a cat..she nailed down every nuance of feline behavior....the way she walked, sniffed, pissed, ate, and even when she took a sh*t, she even remeberd to cover it up with kitty litter... :P ..........oh!!!!! i got to let you guys know that even the way she talked was awesome....like, when i was younger and use to play w/ my kitties i use to stare at them and pretend that i knew what they were saying to me ....like "talking"..... i know this sounds rather ghey....but the part in the trailer when berry rasps..."cat got your tongue?"..i freaked!!!!.it was just how i imagined the way my kittens would talk to me...........but every part of her perfoamce was METHODICAL.......the only complaint is that durind the typical "love scene" ...the way sharon stone use 'catnip" was inappropiate...but not everything is perfect so, all is forgiven...............the FX were gorgeous......i thought i saw the pinnacle of FX when watching the matrix films and LOTR films...but catwomans the real deal..........everything looked so real....it was the most accurate and true looking CGI i have ever witnessed.......even during some parts of the film i would have to rub butter from my popcorn into my eyes to make sure it was real.......beautiful........all the other aspects of filmaking were fantastic..props has to go out the the production design...and the music.....the music ..............the music........i think even the most harshest music critic would smile at the the killer sh*t that was playing through the speakers...........rapturous........
well, thats about it ...........this is one of, if not the BEST!!!! film of the year.......and one last thing.......i am just kidding about this review, i never saw it ...honestly this films looks stupid...........
Wow, Neon completely convinced me to go see this RIGHT NOW without even reading his entire post!
Quote from: MacGuffinThe Los Angeles Times (Kevin Thomas) actually gave this a positive review.
lets just say i had
a friend who saw the movie because he got a free pass in his Batman: Animated Series DVD and he said it made him look back fondly on the days of nipples on the batsuit. after viewing catwoman he longed for the subtle nuanced performance of arnold schwarzenegger as victor freeze. he called it 'a movie so bad he cant believe that akiva goldsman didnt write it'. and that it 'made batman & robin look like batman returns'.
Peek-a-boo Kevin Smith on mod-age's avatar = :yabbse-thumbup:
ugh, i just want to post a quick message that i will never see this piece of shit ever in my life and that i will die a happy man at least for that decision. also that NEON has lost his friggin mind, unless he was being sarcastic/ironic and i missed it cos i didn't read the whole thing on account of being made ill by it.
Quote from: NEON MERCURY...b/c at times when she "transformed" into the cat..i almost though she [iwas[/i] a cat..she nailed down every nuance of feline behavior....the way she walked, sniffed, pissed, ate, and even when she took a sh*t, she even remeberd to cover it up with kitty litter... :P ..........oh!!!!! i got to let you guys know that even the way she talked was awesome....like, when i was younger and use to play w/ my kitties i use to stare at them and pretend that i knew what they were saying to me ....like "talking"..... i know this sounds rather ghey....but the part in the trailer when berry rasps..."cat got your tongue?"..i freaked!!!!.it was just how i imagined the way my kittens would talk to me...........
..........
.everything looked so real....it was the most accurate and true looking CGI i have ever witnessed.......even during some parts of the film i would have to rub butter from my popcorn into my eyes to make sure it was real.......beautiful.............
Hahaha hilarious
Quote from: Pubrickalso that NEON has lost his friggin mind, unless he was being sarcastic/ironic and i missed it cos i didn't read the whole thing on account of being made ill by it.
Read the whole thing.
Quote from: MacGuffinQuote from: Pubrickalso that NEON has lost his friggin mind, unless he was being sarcastic/ironic and i missed it cos i didn't read the whole thing on account of being made ill by it.
Read the whole thing.
yeah, Pubrick.i was just playing 'round....... :) ...........
pas, thanks for the props my brotha.............
I saw a commercial for the Catwoman video game on T.V. and I noticed that the cover looked awefully white. So, I went and found the movie poster. Judge for yourself.
:?
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg78.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv239%2FDreydin%2FBlackCatwoman.jpg&hash=970cf300d831e90eb933b318341526c7b4d56f97) (https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg78.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv239%2FDreydin%2FWhiteCatwoman.png&hash=64b27195b1101b09866156141bf4a6e4a75e6b46)
Warner Bros.' "Catwoman," was purring in the third spot with a moderate but disappointing estimate of $17.2 million.
Haha..
Love this.
:P
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ctrlaltdel-online.com%2Fimages%2Fcomics%2F20040716.jpg&hash=6ac7bc20dfb86c19f16985185cbb7721ce95dae1)
hahah, quote from filmcritic.com:
"so bad that i actually recommend you see it."
bwhahaha.
Worst movie I've ever seen. I got into it free (scored some free passes) and still felt cheated. The fact that Bob Kane is mentioned in the credits makes me cringe. This story intentionally has no relationship whatsoever to the comic book, cartoon, or any other Batman outlet. They took the name 'Catwoman' and destroyed it. Not only destroyed it, but hacked a hairball all over it. Nobody see this movie. There is no character development, no good fight scene, no realistic plot and since when did Catwoman have superpowers? The most unintentionally funny moment was SPOILER when Patience couldn't get into the front entrance of the cosmetics building because it was locked. She walks around the building and finds a door marked 'Caution' in big, bright letters and casually opens it and walks into the building. Seriously....Also the fight going into 'overtime.' Worst dialogue ever *shudder* end pointless SPOILER
I am such a huge fan of Batman and all the characters, especially Catwoman, so I'm just going to pretend this movie never happened and look forward to Batman Begins.
Best review quote from Jeffrey Lyles:
"....makes me long for the quiet dignity of Arnold Schwarzenegger's performance in 'Batman and Robin.'"
Quote from: GloriaBest review quote from Jeffrey Lyles:
"....makes me long for the quiet dignity of Arnold Schwarzenegger's performance in 'Batman and Robin.'"
hey, i said something like that on the last page, except i've never heard of/read jeffrey lyles before... :?
I would just like to extend a hearty congratulations to the makers of Catwoman on their stellar box office smash. The movie has lost over $100 million. Kudos to Halle Berry to for jumping on this mainstream gravy train. After that Oscar win, you deserve it!
blame it on sharon stone.
I saw the last 20-30 minutes of this movie. My brother was watching it (he picked this one, prolly cuz of the cat outfit, despite my warnings), and my movie finished before his so I went in to watch the last bit with him.
Ahahaha. He was the only one in there. And it was the first or second week since it opened. If he hadn't picked Catwoman, no one would've been watching it. Total waste.
Anyway, yeah it looked very bad. The fighting was pathetic and the music that played during the fighting was terrible. The music was probably the worst thing about the fights, actually, except that people stopped to explain things while fighting. It didn't even seem to work on a camp level.
Oh well. Actually I was surprised to hear that it cost so much to make. It looked like it cost about $60 million. So (even though the entire movie was a waste of money) it looks like $40 million of its budget didn't even go into the movie. Hmm.
Quote from: mogwaiblame it on sharon stone.
blame it on the bossanova
My friend and I went to this last week at 7:00 on a friday night and no one was there. It was just him and I and we thought we'd have a great time laughing at the movie. During the trailers before the film, this girl walked in and sat right next to us. Since the entire theatre was empty, I started to talk to her. Apparently she got ditched by her b/f (they were supposed to see Eternal Sunshine). I explained to her that my friend and I were there to laugh at the movie, and if that would be ok. She said sure, she didn't mind. Within 5 mins of watching the movie and laughing, she hushed us. About 15 mins later she did it again. That pissed me right off.
Anyways, Catwoman was worse than I even thought it would be. Every aspect was awful. From now on, another synonym for bad is Pitof.
Quote from: SHAFTRMy friend and I went to this last week at 7:00 on a friday night and no one was there. It was just him and I and we thought we'd have a great time laughing at the movie. During the trailers before the film, this girl walked in and sat right next to us. Since the entire theatre was empty, I started to talk to her. Apparently she got ditched by her b/f...
I thought I was gonna get to hear a naughty story at this point. Oh well...
And theaters are still showing Eternal Sunshine? I wanna see it again!
You should have shafted 'r!
<-----------------clever
Quote from: matt35mmQuote from: SHAFTRMy friend and I went to this last week at 7:00 on a friday night and no one was there. It was just him and I and we thought we'd have a great time laughing at the movie. During the trailers before the film, this girl walked in and sat right next to us. Since the entire theatre was empty, I started to talk to her. Apparently she got ditched by her b/f...
I thought I was gonna get to hear a naughty story at this point. Oh well...
And theaters are still showing Eternal Sunshine? I wanna see it again!
...and then I put it in her butt.
Halle on Catwoman 2
She's not ruling it out!
Despite the poor stateside box office results for the critically maligned film, and her own mocking of it when she accepted her Hasty Pudding award, Oscar winner Halle Berry advised IGN FilmForce and other members of the press that she wouldn't rule out starring in another Catwoman movie.
"If they seriously said, 'We want to do another one and here's how we're going to make it better because we learned from the mistakes,' I would because I believe we could make it better," Berry revealed during a roundtable interview Friday in New York.
"I think Catwoman is a great character that maybe wasn't presented in the right way," she said, adding, "But when people see it on video they seem to like it. They're like, 'It wasn't as bad as they all said!'"
----------------------------------------------------
Ms. Berry obviously wasn't speaking for me.
The Catwoman Movie That Never Happened
This is a weird story full of amusing quotes by writer-director Daniel Waters. Waters spends most of his time these days doing his own thing, but at one point he was part of the Hollywood writer grind establishment and his primary claim to fame from those days is certainly Batman Returns. Although Returns was not particularly well accepted at the time, it is generally recognized as one of the better Batman sequels. Waters said working as a big-budget studio house writer was devastatingly mind-numbing. He remembered thinking ""f* these mother f*s, I'm going to write a bunch of scripts that are going to end up in a drawer, so when I kill myself, they can read these scripts and go 'he was a f* genius.'"
The point of this is, Returns landed Walters a chance to work on a Catwoman flick. Waters was in fact the first person to attempt the script, and he claims he actually likes the Catwoman character better than Batman himself. His story took place in an Arizona version of Gotham, and focused around three villains posing as heroes who ran the place. Burton had a different, darker vision ... and the studio flatly denied both of them. Asked about the Halle Berry project, Walters said: "there was a truck going "beep beep," backing up [at my house] and 900 scripts fell on my front lawn and [the studio was] like, 'do you want to arbitrate,' and I went to the last one and I went 'noooo, please don't give me credit. Whatever you do, anything.'"
Quote from: matt35mm on August 16, 2004, 03:43:58 AM
I saw the last 20-30 minutes of this movie. My brother was watching it (he picked this one, prolly cuz of the cat outfit, despite my warnings), and my movie finished before his so I went in to watch the last bit with him.
Ahahaha. He was the only one in there. And it was the first or second week since it opened. If he hadn't picked Catwoman, no one would've been watching it. Total waste.
Anyway, yeah it looked very bad. The fighting was pathetic and the music that played during the fighting was terrible. The music was probably the worst thing about the fights, actually, except that people stopped to explain things while fighting. It didn't even seem to work on a camp level.
Oh well. Actually I was surprised to hear that it cost so much to make. It looked like it cost about $60 million. So (even though the entire movie was a waste of money) it looks like $40 million of its budget didn't even go into the movie. Hmm.
After maturing quite a bit since having made this post, I have to say that I really like watching this movie. Ever since the AMC channel has started showing it, I've been stopping to watch it each time I see that it's playing.
The construction of the film is incredibly fascinating to me. I've never seen the traditional rules of filmmaking broken at such a rapid pace! Every single scene has about 3 unnecessary cuts to every 1 cut you'd expect from a movie like this. The longest a shot was held for that I counted was about 8 seconds long, with the majority of the edits coming every 2-5 seconds, and I'm not talking about only the action scenes. Scenes with plain conversation, talking over the phone, walking down the street, are all covered by about 20 angles and the editor managed to squeeze every angle into the scene.
And I find it exhilarating to watch! Some of that is due to sheer dumbfoundedness, sure, but I have to say that I almost never get into watching a bad film, even for camp value. Much of the reason is that most terrible films are compatently (and boringly) constructed, and there's just nothing to grip me. Stupidity alone doesn't grip me, and I don't really enjoy camp.
But this! I've never seen a film like this before, and because of that, I find that I can't judge it on any terms that I would normally consider when watching any other movie. I can only be enraptured and overwhelmed and wonder...
Is this what love is like?
The answer is no. This is simply wonder, astonishment, and fascination with truly one of the most challenging films I have ever seen, right alongside with INLAND EMPIRE. In fact, the experience of watching Catwoman for me is incredibly similar to that of watching INLAND EMPIRE, and everything I wrote starting from "But this!" could apply to my response to INLAND EMPIRE as well.
R U HI
I M not HI.
But I do think that this movie should be required viewing in film classes.
Maybe this is the Ishtar of our time.
Silias: Buy it and confirm this.
so was this a joke or what?
No.
I think I agree. I watched the whole thing in bits and pieces on cable, and it's so bad that it's endlessly fascinating.
Hooray validation!
I'd stress that it's the construction of the film that's fascinating. There's nothing fascinating about the script (which is just poor) or the acting (which is also poor). That was what we could all tell from the outset, but how it's all stitched together makes my eyes bleed and my face smile and/or jaw drop.
But do you recommend showing the entire film? The point is made with a description or a few segments being shown. For an intro film class, I understand the point in doing it. Establishes general points about Hollywood and its unnessary norms, but it's a moot point to make for any developed course. It just reminds everyone of what is already obvious.
No, I don't think that the whole film has to be shown. Select clips would work fine, and maybe better.
The point, however, wouldn't be anything about Hollywood. The points would be particular to this film and its construction, which is unlike any film, and therefore can't be used to stand for any kind of film. I think that it would be useful to go through shot by shot, look at where the cuts are, and which angles are used, and contrast them with the norms. There's very little that's normal about the way this movie has been put together.
I think it would fit in a class where you would show clips from several unusually shot and edited films, whether the film is good or bad, and to demonstrate the bizarre effects that angle and edit choices can potentially have. Continually breaking the line and an average of 25 cuts per minute, along with very odd angles and strange camera movements is NOT the norm. I believe that showing clips from this movie will demonstrate things that are not moot to a developed course. It's not amateurishly put together, so that wouldn't be the point. Rather, it's very complicated in its construction, very skilled, but with extremely odd--and, yes, bad--decisions. Showing a clip from this movie with the sound off, I think, would stun a lot of people, especially those who have an idea of how and why films are usually constructed the way they are.
So, I don't know if it really belongs in an intro film class, although I suppose it could. I'm not speaking of a "look, kids, a bad movie" thing, though. That could be demonstrated with any number of other films. There is something unique about film construction (mise en scene, as the professors would say) that can only be demonstrated with this film, because it only exists in this film. And for the same reason, the points to be made would not be obvious points, because you could have never pointed to anything as an example of what this movie does before this movie was made.
And I'm not interested in making any ironic points, either. I realize that I probably sound like I'm joking, or just crazy. I think that if one actually watches the movie, or clips from the movie, while conscious about all the standard notions of how a movie is put together, then he or she will find just how actively Catwoman challenges those notions. The result is a terrible and confusingly constructed movie, but not an illustration of norms by any means, nor does it serve a proof that one should stick with standard ideas of film construction. It is a movie unlike any that I've seen before, and as a filmmaker myself, it has forced me to reconsider some things that I took for granted as far as film construction goes.
Matt, have you read Noel Burch's Theory Of Film Practice? You should check it out.
I haven't read it, but it looks very interesting. I'll try to check it out soon. Thanks!
That was an awesome post, Matt. You don't have to feel bad about this theory. You gave it enough credible evidence and meat with that post to even make me enthusiastic about watching the movie.
Obviously, I haven't seen the movie. I was counterpointing Matt up above, but I was more hopeful he would expand on his position. Which he did in excellence. I just shouldn't have written a post that acted like I truly understood his idea when it's obvious I didn't.
Ghostboy, I read half of that book you mentioned. It was fascinating but I want to look it over again. It was suppose to be for an essay on The New World but as some essays subjects go, it got lost in the shuffle and never was completed. It's something I hope to return to once I get a few projects I have on the table out of the way.
Thank you, GT! That was mighty nice of you to say.
I hope you do get around to watching it someday, and maybe post your thoughts on it.