The News: Better Late Than Never

This book commands $20 million per picture

By S.T. VanAirsdale

Some of today's movie news of note from around New York:

--I'm not going to bore you with excuses as to why you're not reading the day's NYC film news highlights here until 1:30; in reality, there was no news until someone showed up at my doorstep with a flaming paper bag concealing the most egregious publicity plant of the year: "I Am Legend couldn’t have reached #1 at the box office this weekend without the help of its supporting star and the #1 best-selling reference book of all time, The World Almanac and Book of Facts. ... [Robert] Neville’s very survival depends on the knowledge provided within the pages of the Almanac." And you thought the product placement orgy ended at modified Shelby Mustangs and the Catholic Church.

--Speaking of plants, Ain't it Cool News last night popped this "world exclusive": Neill Cumpston Has Seen CLOVERFIELD MONSTER GOES APESHIT! Hype is hype, and I imagine The Reeler will judge for itself soon enough, but no review past, present or future can possibly outdo the, um, praise: "The monster RIPS THE LIVING SHIT out of the city, and everyone in its path. It’s like the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina and Kathy Griffin’s vagina combined and turned into a giant murder-beast and it’s hungry for every hip person in Manhattan. ... I don’t know if the movie-makers are looking for poster quotes, but this movie is like a pussy that eats YOU out." That's it, I'm retiring. (H/T: Vulture)

--Speaking of apeshit, Barbara Ehrenreich has a bone to pick with Disney this week in The Nation. Karina Longworth has the right idea in her response at Spout Blog: "The ultimate question: Is a bikini-clad heroine better than no heroine at all?"

Glenn Kenny is the luckiest kid alive this Christmas, receiving Blu-Ray DVD's of both The Seventh Seal AND Underdog a full week before the holiday. Meanwhile, I got an envelope full of Goran Paskaljevic screeners in advance of next month's MoMA retrospective. Santa is such a prick sometimes.

Posted at December 18, 2007 1:07 PM