The Number 23

[MacGuffin]

Schumacher counting to 'Number 23'
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Joel Schumacher has signed on to direct "The Number 23" for New Line Cinema. Contrafilm's Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson, who were behind the horror hit "The Exorcism of Emily Rose," are producing the psychological thriller.

The script, written by Fernley Phillips, follows a man who is obsessed with an obscure book titled "The Number 23" and becomes convinced that the book is based on his own life.

[MacGuffin]

Trailer here.

Release Date: February 23rd, 2007 (wide)

Starring: Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, Danny Huston, Rhona Mitra, Logan Lerman 

Directed by: Joel Schumacher 

Premise: A psychological thriller centering on a man who is obsessed with an obscure book titled "The Number 23" and becomes convinced that the book is based on his own life.

[matt35mm]

aw damn it

[Ghostboy]

That looks like it has potential, but I'd be willing to bet that they give away the ending at the end of the trailer.

[Pubrick]

That looks like it has potential, but I'd be willing to bet that they give away the ending at the end of the trailer.

thanks for that. i skipped it.

good premise. carrey needs a comeback.

[MacGuffin]

[Chest Rockwell]

Of course, pseudo-film geeks will loves this movie when they try to spot instances of the number 23 scattered throughout the frames in the movie...

[Pozer]

good premise. carrey needs a comeback.

hmmm?  a movie where something is linked to being satanic + schumacher.  don't think this will be it. 

[nix]

Sorry but that poster makes me giggle.

[last days of gerry the elephant]

Sorry but that poster makes me giggle.

Indeed, that help speech bubble is comedic.

[Pubrick]

good premise. carrey needs a comeback.

hmmm?  a movie where something is linked to being satanic + schumacher.  don't think this will be it. 

this is what i liked about it..

Premise: A psychological thriller centering on a man who is obsessed with an obscure book titled "The Number 23" and becomes convinced that the book is based on his own life.

and i didn't watch the trailer so i didn't know it had satanic elements, but you're right, schumacher is satanic enuff to make me wary.

[socketlevel]

The premise of this film is either a homage or a blatant stolen reference to the Robert Shea, Robert Anton Wilson book "the illuminatus." This book is a groundbreaking not-well-known science fiction story written many many years ago.  'The illuminatus' is the ultimate conspiracy book, and one of the many ideas brought up in it is this concept of the number 23.  How it is the sign of the devil and works in mysterious ways.  The book delves into the illuminati, and creates a biting satirical hitch-hiker's-guide-meets-soft-core-porn story in the essence of good 70s playboy material.

Before you laugh, playboy used to be good with this type of material, hef used to care about politics and changing the world.  Playboy magazine was one of main reasons why authors like Ray Bradbury's got printed, Fahrenheit 451 was directly made available because of hef.  451 is now a staple in Sci-fi and arguably the best sci-fi book ever written.

The Illuminatus' is enormously open concept and surreal, dealing with the occult and conspiracy long before Dan brown diluted the genre, and made it fashionable for soccer moms.  This was written back when Philip k. dick and timothy Leary opened people's minds.  It's heavily psychedelic drug infused book about paranoia of the ultimate conspiracy, total control of the world by a council of 5 powerful men.  X-files before the x-files, in a time of Nixon.

The number 23 is introduced near the beginning of the book.  It also mentions dates and combinations of the number 23 conspiracy, identical to this film.  I have a personal attachment to this because after I read 'the illumintatus' in high school I often looked for the number 23 everywhere I could find it, it surprisingly occurs a lot...  and it occurs a lot in the history of film, just look for it yourself.  It's fun because it was the type of thing that I felt other sci-fi fans that knew the book probably put it into their movies.  Now... with this film...  it looks like another pulp bitch like Dan brown (incarnated this time in a Hollywood crap coalition) is gunna yet again steal the spotlight from a superior original context. Yes I got to admit I'm jealous the idea wasn't used by someone like myself...  selfishness I know, in part because I liked it being part of an elite circle of sci-fi fans... but now this crap film will be the reference point to the number 23.   At the end of the day, there is no way this film can do the number 23 conspiracy justice.  It is an epic, all encompassing topic that will only be milked for a little cash by a small-concept-piece-of-shit movie.  Looks like we've got another da vinci on our hands...  why see this movie when you could see the prestige, a movie that takes a similar technique toward the obscure occult, yet manages to make it a whole new concept.  I'm very disappointed with this undertaking and Schumacher can kiss my ass.



-sl-

[Julius Orange]

Spoilers?[/ur]

Thanks

[SiliasRuby]

Decent movie and a completely interesting believable turn by Carrey. Wasn't scary at all though, wait to rent.

[Pubrick]

haha, silias, what's your ebay username? please tell me so i can know what feedback to disregard.