Links: Frankenstein, Hughes, Zombies, Swampthings

FriiiiiiiiieeeeeeeendAntagony & Ecstasy by way of Green Lantern, Timothy looks back at another ill advised green-hued DC adaptation, Swamp Thing
the Wrap John Landis's son hired to write the reboot of Frankenstein. I was wondering when that stitched man monster would try to lumber through the current supernatural crowds again. Hey, Craig was just talking about the original Frankenstein in the Take Three series.
i09 considers True Blood characters who still haven't had sex with each other yet. Who should? 
IndieWire looks at five female directors on the verge 
Movie|Line says the offer is out for Emma Stone to headline Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. Natalie Portman was previously rumored but I think Emma is a much better idea for this kind of tonally specific project. Portman is too uneven with the fanciful stuff. Superb in Black Swan but less so other times that f/x surrealness have been involved. But will Emma really say yes given that she's already done Zombieland?

Howard HughesMeanwhile I was asking on Twitter why anyone would want a Chris Nolan Howard Hughes bio (he previously expressed intent) now that the news is out that that's the Warren Beatty project that is in the works. So many blogs were all "but what about Nolan's movie???" Excuse me but has no one seen Reds (1981)? If all biopics were as resonant, well acted and potent as that one it'd be a different film world altogether and Oscars love of the same would be fully and thoroughly justified and not just THIS again?(Nolan is excellent at certain things but I wonder why people think he'd be the man for a biopic when depth of characterization isn't exactly his forte.) Warren will play Hughes (who Leonardo DiCaprio already played as a younger man of course in The Aviator) in his later years and it'll focus on a romance with a younger woman. Rumored to be involved or interested in being involved are: Andrew Garfield, Alec Baldwin, Annette Bening, Shia La Beouf, Rooney Mara and Evan Rachel Wood. Oh and Jack Nicholson who gave one of his all time best and least characteristic performances in Reds. No word yet on who will be playing who but the important news is already out in the cosmos: Warren Beatty is getting back to work. Fi-nal-ly.

True Blood in Five Minutes

When I polled y'all about whether or not we should review True Blood Season 4 as it airs, and though the response was tepid in terms of button clicking it was "yay" in terms of coverage so we'll try it out. If response is good we'll keep going. If not, we dump. Every other film site seems to cover more and more TV [TANGENT: the worlds continue to converge though not, I should add, as they should: put the franchises on TV where no beginnings, middle and ends are appropriate and not in the cinema where you're supposed to tell a full story, damnit! [/TANGENT] and we gotta keep up or lose market share.

So before Season 4 begins next week, a quick recap of the first three seasons courtesy of HBO

For those who care about existing predispositions my favorite human is Jason (Ryan Kwanten being the show's acting MVP... and the least likely to ever be nominated for it), my favorite vampire is Pam (Kristin Bauer), my favorite eye candy is Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) and my favorite CGI creation is Joe Manganiello (as "Alcides) who cannot possibly be a real human actor considering that superhero body that makes Ryan Reynolds look like a gym slacker. I go back and forth on the quality of virtually everyone and everything in this show but I find it addictive and admire its looney commitment to all caps acting and total trashiness.

"True Blood" Witches. True Blood Watchers?

I've been on a True Blood tear, catching up with Season 3. I haven't enjoyed it nearly as much as Season 2 (the peak) partially because the Big Bad "Russell, King of Mississippi" (Denis O'Hare) wasn't half as interesting, dynamic or amusing as immortal maenad "MaryAnn" (Michelle Forbes) from Season 2. Plus, I've missed the comedy gold that sprung up in the religious cult satire subplot which starred Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten), the ensemble's undersung hero. Yes, everyone loves his body. But he's arguably the most gifted comic in the cast.

Here's the new teaser for the fourth season of True Blood. If Fiona Shaw, the sensational stage actress, Harry Potter's Aunt Petunia, and our favorite batshit crazy sociopathic rich lady (The Black Dahlia) is this season's Big Bad, maybe Season 4 will rival Season 2?

Here's the teaser.

Quick show of hands for any TFE coverage?
Please vote.

poll by twiigs.com

How To Be Nice To Your Dragon

Here's an awards curveball for ya. We don't often hear about the Genesis Awards but this is their 25th year. They award media that promotes fair and kind treatment to animals. There are categories ranging from traditional news segments, to magazines articles, up to feature films and documentaries. Here are three major categories I thought might interest you, whether you're an animal lover, a committed vegan or just an awards junkie.

Feature Film
How To Train Your Dragon
The Switch

It's easy to see why Oscar nominee How To Train Your Dragon figured in as the whole plot revolves around learning to leave peacefully with another species. But the sperm donor comedy The Switch starring Jennifer Aniston? Is Jason Bateman turning into a wolf again? Goddamnit. I thought we were done with that in the 80s.

I guess you have to have seen that one to know why it's so honored. But I don't want to have to have seen it. Please explain in the comments if you have.

Feature Documentary 
The Elephant in the Living Room
Oceans 

I guess Banksy's Pink Elephant in the Gallery from Exit Through The Gift Shop was not a smart move if he wanted to win a Genesis. Painting or dyeing animals is usually not a good idea. I loved the "horses of a different color" in The Wizard of Oz but I'm guessing they didn't consult with them on how they were dealing with their makeup the way they had to deal with actors with skin rashes.

Television Series
Law & Order: Criminal Intent "Inhumane Society" -USA Network
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit "Beef" -NBC
True Blood "Hitting the Ground" -HBO

Okay. Someone who is up to date on True Blood (I'm behind since I don't get HBO) will have to fill me in on how this qualified. From what I've seen of the show don't animals get brutalized along with the humans in its dangerous swampy world? Last time I watched [Season 2 spoiler] Marianne, who liked to travel with a giant pig and was all into animal and human sacrifices and cannibalism was finally dispatched by the horns of a deified bull (not really. But she was ecstatically confused).]

And Kristin Davis of Sex & the City fame is getting a special prize.

Hug your pets! Bye.