The Official Indiana Jones website has posted a video of the martini shots from all of the Indy films. Watch as Spielberg ages from a shirtless stud to a sun protected grandfather! Marvel at the geek cred of his swanky Blue Harvest cap in 1984! Sweat as Harrison Ford blows things up, cuts a rope bridge, and wears a horrendous bowtie! It's all there, folks.
Cinematical reports that last night, Shia Lebeouf announced that the title for the upcoming Indiana Jones film is Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
You may recall Geekanerd reported on a list of six rumored titles back in August, and gave odds on the likelihood of each option. Back then we didn't think much of Crystal Skull's chances, citing it didn't "have the light-hearted grandeur of a Jones title." Well, it's not the first time Lucasfilm has gone with a title we didn't like for a highly anticipated franchise reboot...second time's the charm!
So in an apparent effort to keep fans guessing, Lucasfilm has gone ahead and registered SIX different titles for the new Indiana Jones movie with the MPAA. Which one is the real one? Are any of them real? Hit the jump for the list and our thoughts about the probability of each:
Indiana Jones and the City of Gods- This is one that has been bandied about before and I thought had already been discredited, but here it is again... It sure has the Indiana ring to it. It's also not an obvious red herring like some others on this list. ODDS: 2:1
Indiana Jones and the Destroyer of Worlds - My first thought on this one was that it was a Wizard People, Dear Reader reference, but I decided Spielberg didn't have time to waste on such internet flotsam. It sounds a bit serious for an Indiana flick, but definitely gets the imagination churning. ODDS: 4:1
Indiana Jones and the Fourth Corner of the Earth - This is probably the title for the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie, so Spielberg will have to keep his hands off. Bad title, obvious list filler (though I would have said the same about "The Phantom Menace" at the time, so...) ODDS: 50:1
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Very clunky title, doesn't have the light-hearted grandeur of a Jones title. ODDS 100:1
Indiana Jones and the Lost City of Gold- Wouldn't be a great title, but is just inoffensive enough to be plausible. ODDS 10:1
Indiana Jones and the Quest for the Covenant - The reddest of red herrings. They've already searched for the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail, so it sounds to me like Steve-O is throwing out fan bait here. Plus, "The Covenant" isn't an object, it's an agreement with God (I'm assuming they mean it in a religious context). Indiana Jones: Metaphysical Adventurer? Doubt it. ODDS: 4000:1
What do you guys think? Anyone disagree with my thoughts?
While we're on the subject of Indiana Jones, take a look at this trailer for the Lego Indiana Jones video game! Swinging from vines and running from boulders never looked so blocky. I've only had limited playtime with Lego Star Wars (I'm holding out for the Complete Saga Wii release), but it was a fun dynamic in spite of some pretty weak grasps at humor. I expect Indiana will be the same but sweatier.
One of the big Indiana Jones reveals at Comic-Con was that Karen Allen will be reprising her role as hard-drinkin', tough-talkin', Indiana-lovin' Marion Ravenwood in the new Indiana Jones movie. Oh, and also Shia LaBeouf looks ridiculous with facial hair. See them all walking and talking to a Comic-Con crowd via satellite in the video section of the official site. On a side note, can anyone recall if Marion's absence from Temple of Doom was explained? It bothers me when love interests disappear in sequels so our hero can bed a new damsel.
I checked out the special screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation at Anthology Film Archives over the weekend. I was turned away from Friday's show because I only showed up an hour and a half in advance, and apparently that wasn't enough to combat the Village Voice-reading hipster hordes. Saturday worked out much better for me, because my "all or nothing" girlfriend dragged me down there SIX hours before the show started. Dizzy dame.
If you don't know, The Adaptation is a shot-for-shot remake of Spielberg's first Indy flick started by 12-year olds Eric Zala (director), Chris Strompolos (producer/star) and Jayson Lamb (special effects) in 1982 and wrapped up seven years later when they were nineteen. It's painstakingly complete, with the only omission being the runway fight that ends in a gruesome propeller chopping. Everything else is there, from the rolling boulder to the Wrath of God. More words and pics after the jump. With dark features and a soft midsection, Strompolos doesn't look much like Harrison Ford at first glance, but his performance (impression?) is pitch perfect. Ford uses his face to great comic effect in the original Raiders, and Strompolos has every eye roll, every chin rub, every grimace down perfectly. It's clear this kid spent hours in front of the mirror practicing these bits, and it reeks of awesome geeky obsession goodness.
The film is incredibly exciting, and one of the main reasons for that is the fact that the kids playing all the parts are in nearly constant danger. Not shiny, make believe, Hollywood danger, but the tangible, terrifying, seriously life-threatening kind. You'll witness gasoline-doused kids catching on fire, startled snakes snapping at adolescent faces, kids falling out of and being dragged under moving trucks... The Adaptation has every peril of Spielberg's original, except without the safety nets inherent in an adult production. There's a persistent feeling throughout this movie that you won't feel watching a Hollywood film, the feeling that at any moment the on screen action could turn into real life tragedy. Seriously, if you love seeing kids in mortal danger, skip Hostel 2 this Summer and track down The Adaptation.
Experiencing the filmmakers' insane accomplishments in extreme closeup is what lends the movie its charm. Their enthusiasm for pulling off particularly harrowing scenes is overtly visible in their performances, making it impossible to keep a smile off your own face. You never forget, no matter what's happening on screen, that you're watching kids grow up in front of your eyes. You'll remember the feeling of young love when Strompolos plants one on his Marion (Angela Rodriguez) and can't hold back an excited grin for the rest of the scene, and it's impossible to not recall your own adolescent awkwardness when Rodriguez nervously undresses in front of her male peers to recreate Marion's imprisonment by Belloq (played here by director Eric Zala). This vicarious experience persists throughout the movie, and it's a big part of what makes it such a unique moviegoing experience.
The Official Indiana Jones website has posted a video of the martini shots from all of the Indy films. Watch as Spielberg ages from a shirtless stud to a sun protected grandfather! Marvel at the geek cred of his swanky Blue Harvest cap in 1984! Sweat as Harrison Ford blows things up, cuts a rope bridge, and wears a horrendous bowtie! It's all there, folks.
So in an apparent effort to keep fans guessing, Lucasfilm has gone ahead and registered SIX different titles for the new Indiana Jones movie with the MPAA. Which one is the real one? Are any of them real? Hit the jump for the list and our thoughts about the probability of each:
One of the big Indiana Jones reveals at Comic-Con was that Karen Allen will be reprising her role as hard-drinkin', tough-talkin', Indiana-lovin' Marion Ravenwood in the new Indiana Jones movie. Oh, and also Shia LaBeouf looks ridiculous with facial hair. See them all walking and talking to a Comic-Con crowd via satellite in the video section of the official site. On a side note, can anyone recall if Marion's absence from Temple of Doom was explained? It bothers me when love interests disappear in sequels so our hero can bed a new damsel.
With dark features and a soft midsection, Strompolos doesn't look much like Harrison Ford at first glance, but his performance (impression?) is pitch perfect. Ford uses his face to great comic effect in the original Raiders, and Strompolos has every eye roll, every chin rub, every grimace down perfectly. It's clear this kid spent hours in front of the mirror practicing these bits, and it reeks of awesome geeky obsession goodness.
The film is incredibly exciting, and one of the main reasons for that is the fact that the kids playing all the parts are in nearly constant danger. Not shiny, make believe, Hollywood danger, but the tangible, terrifying, seriously life-threatening kind. You'll witness gasoline-doused kids catching on fire, startled snakes snapping at adolescent faces, kids falling out of and being dragged under moving trucks... The Adaptation has every peril of Spielberg's original, except without the safety nets inherent in an adult production. There's a persistent feeling throughout this movie that you won't feel watching a Hollywood film, the feeling that at any moment the on screen action could turn into real life tragedy. Seriously, if you love seeing kids in mortal danger, skip Hostel 2 this Summer and track down The Adaptation.
Experiencing the filmmakers' insane accomplishments in extreme closeup is what lends the movie its charm. Their enthusiasm for pulling off particularly harrowing scenes is overtly visible in their performances, making it impossible to keep a smile off your own face. You never forget, no matter what's happening on screen, that you're watching kids grow up in front of your eyes. You'll remember the feeling of young love when Strompolos plants one on his Marion (Angela Rodriguez) and can't hold back an excited grin for the rest of the scene, and it's impossible to not recall your own adolescent awkwardness when Rodriguez nervously undresses in front of her male peers to recreate Marion's imprisonment by Belloq (played here by director Eric Zala). This vicarious experience persists throughout the movie, and it's a big part of what makes it such a unique moviegoing experience.
