Movie Minesweeper - The New Broom Edition

- Luis Tosar is to star in Spleen, from first time director Alfonso Zarauzer.

- Don Murphy had posted a response to Michael Bay on his own site, but now... it's gone. From memory: Murphy commented on how he and Tom De Santo had nurtured the Transformers project for years before Bay's involvement; he credited Bay for making the film such a success; he stressed how good he felt the film was. Where's the comment gone? And why? And how true is it that Murphy is 'widely reviled by executives at Paramount and Dreamworks', as reported in The NYTimes? [EDIT: An old statement has been re-linked by Murphy]

- Alex de la Iglesia going to write and direct the film adaptation of The Yellow Mark, a story from the Blake and Mortimer comic book.

- The Icelandic media seem to believe location scouts for the new Star Trek film have come knocking.

- Richard Corliss has published a paen to animation in Time. Might seem a little naive to actual animation fans.

Murder On The Odeon Express

Odeon Sky Filmworks - the congolmerated power house comprised of Odeon Cinemas and Sky TV - have purchased all UK rights to The Oxford Murders.

Does this mean that the film will receive a premiere at the Magdalen Street Odeon, here in Oxford, just like Shadowlands did years ago? If so, I hope they get an outside projectionist in. At least half of the Odeon projectionists in Oxford couldn't splice their own shoelaces.

Home Sweet Home: Oxford Murders Pictured Online

Las Horas Perdidas (The Lost Hours) have some stills from The Oxford Murders. Thanks to Dark Horizons, I knew where to find them (though, in fact, one of those reproduced below is not a still, but a 'behind the scenes image' - can you see which one?)

Alex Cox seems to be trying out for the starring role in a Stanley Baxter biopic - either that or he perhaps plays John Hurts character in a flashback.

I'm not entirely sure a single one of these images originated in Oxford, though the film certainly has been filming here - I took the students along to spy on some of the shoot. Perhaps the Breakfast Club looking one is in a bit of the Bodleian? Can any of my fellow Oxfordians advise?

Oxford Murders Muddle

The local paper here in Oxford is covering the shooting of The Oxford Murders, for obvious reasons. They aren't getting every fact quite right, however:

"Oxford's Broad Street turned into a film set today as shooting for The Oxford Murders began" they say. Which doesn't explain how I was on set last Thursday, not to mention the various on-set snaps I saw a couple of weeks back.

They go on "The nearby White Horse pub, set to feature in a scene to be shot on Thursday, provided a warm haven for extras and crew. Licensee Jacqueline Paphitis said: Elijah Wood was in this morning and had a cup of tea. He was laid-back and a really nice guy. Everyone's really excited about the filming on Thursday."

That's Thursday, Frodo-stalkers. Of this week.

I might take my students by again. The sneaky peek we had last week was very interesting for them. It was a pleasure to meet Alex de la Iglesia too, however briefly. Was any scoopage gleaned? Not much, but he did tell me that the film is expected to premiere at the Venice Film Festival this year.

Think About Disney

Talking to Yahoo, Alex de Iglesia has revealed the film he hopes to make after completing The Oxford Murders. Sounding like a rather difficult, off-kilter nightmare, Think About Disney details the existential crises of a man who 'discovers the true essence of the world around him and lives a hell of his own creation. The only salvation he finds comes through thinking about cartoon characters.'

Though it isn't mentioned, it seems certain that any film with this synopsis would include some Roger Rabbit, Mary Poppins or (more accurately, perhaps) Cool World animation/live action blending. Seems like the technique is undergoing something of a renaissance, with Enchanted and The Animated American also on the cards for the next couple of years. Will they become as prevalent as CG was this year?

Probably not. Though I do think the motion capture filmmaking of Monster House and Beowulf is going to become more and more common, eventually blending seemlessly with 'traditionally' shooting and very probably forming the new norm.

Elijah Woods Is Coming To Town

The Hollywood Reporter have named Elijah Wood as an addition to Alex de la Iglesia' The Oxford Murders. Wood will be shooting here, in Oxford, from late January.

The film is a murder mystery headed up John Hurt as a brilliant, doubtlessly eccentric, mathematics professor. If the mystery is a good one, fits together logically and doesn't cheat, we'll be looking at a real winner here.

I'll keep my eye on this one. Local advantage.