Screenwriter

  • Trailerspotting previews the greatest film of 2010.

    November 3, 2009 @ 1:43 am | by Donald Clarke

    Well, I say the greatest film of 2010, but that may, in fact, be downplaying the truly staggering potential of Old Dogs. Barely a day goes by when I fail to receive an email asking whether there is any chance of John Travolta and Robin Williams coming together for a film in which one of them suddenly discovers he has two boisterous children. It would also be nice if, after receiving the news, the dad (Williams, say) faints into a plate of spaghetti. Is there any chance? Is there? Is there?

    Obviously, I have to reply that such a delicious prospect would be far too much to hope for. It’s like wishing for the clouds to rain Madeira and the rivers to flow with tawny port.

    Then one day I clicked on Apple trailers and the sky filled with fortified wine.

    Everything about this film looks fantastic. John Travolta plays a rogue who can’t get enough of the ladies. (What’s so funny?) Robin Williams plays (I say “plays”) a man with the sad, desperate eyes of the terminally misunderstood. What will happen when the twins come to stay? Fun, laughter and a little bit of poignant redemption I’m betting. Still not convinced of Old Dogs’ brilliance? This is a film in which a gorilla smacks John Travolta in the face with a tractor tire, for Pete’s sake.

    Gorilla. Tire. Travolta. If it doesn’t end up being better than La Regle du Jeu  I’ll happily sign up with the Scientologists.

    Gorilla. Tire. Travolta.

    • 17 Comments »

    1.
    November 3, 2009
    9:38 am

    But Donald, it’s “From the director of Road Hogs”. Ye of little L.Ron faith…

    Comment by redframewhitelight
    2.
    November 3, 2009
    10:24 am

    Am I wrong for chuckling at the bit when the penguin bites Travolta’s ear? There’s a sentence I never expected to type.

    Comment by Joe Griffin
    3.
    November 3, 2009
    10:44 am

    Hmmm.. the title is just too similar sounding to “Wild Hogs”, one of Travolta’s finest cinematic achievements. Perhaps Old Dogs is a code name for the directors cut of Wild Hogs which I have been holding out for.

    Comment by Ste - statusireland.com
    4.
    November 3, 2009
    10:51 am

    But what about the redemption Donald, the REDEMPTION!

    Comment by Eoin
    5.
    November 3, 2009
    11:39 am

    “Water Torture” - Chuckle

    Comment by Eleanor
    6.
    November 3, 2009
    12:38 pm

    Oh. My. God. There’s 2 minutes and 26 seconds of my life that I won’t be getting back.

    Comment by Adrian
    7.
    November 3, 2009
    3:39 pm

    I hope Robin Williams ‘improvs’ in this.
    That never gets old.

    Comment by Sean Brody
    8.
    November 3, 2009
    4:10 pm

    I know, Sean. There is nothing I hate more than people saying “Oh Robin Williams is only good when he’s allowed to do his quite incandescent improvs.” No! That’s when he’s at his most annoying. Robin Williams is only bearable when — as in Insomnia or One Hour Photo — he’s playing a sinister creep (on purpose).

    Comment by Donald Clarke
    9.
    November 3, 2009
    5:58 pm

    Isn’t Bernie Mac dead? He’s in the credits!

    Comment by Noise Annoys
    10.
    November 3, 2009
    6:04 pm

    Poor old Bernie was working on the film when he died. Yes, this means they began shooting this thing back in the summer of 2008. You’d think they’d have raced it into cinemas. It looks so good and all.

    Comment by Donald Clarke
    11.
    November 4, 2009
    10:36 am

    i like the trailer for the new sandra bullock movie “all about steve” its says from the makers of ‘miss congeniality’ and ‘two weeks notcie’ like it’s a good thing

    Comment by petee
    12.
    November 4, 2009
    10:44 am

    Apparently, it was meant to be released in April 2009, but Disney put it back, allegedly on account of Bernie Mac’s death, but more likely due to (a) desperate re-cutting, or (b) their hope that people would be more tolerant of it in the pre-Christmas season: “Oh, you know, it’s Disney, it’s for kids…” Lots of stuff is for kids. Doesn’t mean it has to be devoid of merit.

    Comment by redframewhitelight
    13.
    November 4, 2009
    2:44 pm

    Is it terrible that I’m quite excited by the news that Chuck Russell, director of The Mummy spin-off The Scorpion King, is reportedly planning a $70m Arabian Nights themed yarn uniting Aladdin and Sinbad.

    Comment by Eleanor
    14.
    November 4, 2009
    5:58 pm

    Not at all. The Scorpion King was superb and, on a related issue of greatness, Mr Russell seems to look like me:

    http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751080/

    Though he’s MUCH older.

    Comment by Donald Clarke
    15.
    November 4, 2009
    6:11 pm

    Ha! You’re a dead ringer for Chuck Russell!

    I didn’t know he wrote (the awesome) Dreamscape.

    Comment by Joe Griffin
    16.
    November 6, 2009
    3:08 am

    Dear God, that trailer. What the F**K was going in that trailer?

    Comment by Quint
    17.
    November 6, 2009
    11:33 am

    It kinda works on a slow torture, Ludovico technique on all that’s wrong in the west sort of way. The film itself could even be used for executions

    Comment by nidgital

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