Two weeks before the release of the highly anticipated Dick Tracy picture, Bryan Bishop announced that, provided Dick Tracy was a success, Chris Harmer would appear in a sequel. His character has been confirmed as Pear Shape, and both Harmer and Bishop are excited about the sequel. I took it upon myself to interview Chris and find out the details surrounding his casting.
EricM: How long have you known about your role in the Dick Tracy sequel?

Chris Harmer: I've known that I would have a role in Dick Tracy for about a year now. Bryan Bishop consulted with me about who I would like to play in the film and he has apparently ignored all my suggestions.

EricM: What role did you originally envision yourself playing?

Chris Harmer: Dick Tracy. Seriously though, we had discussed me playing an original character that he made up for the movie. But since that is not the case, I will not reveal the character's name.

EricM: What are your reactions to being cast as Pear Shape?

Chris Harmer: My initial reaction is awe at the size of my ass. But other than that, I'm just happy to play a role in such a fine film.

EricM: What type of character is Pear Shape and how are you going to tap into such a creation?

Chris Harmer: Pear Shape is the ultimate villain in my opinion. People will be awed at his brilliant evilness. (Harmer sighs.) He runs a scam weigh loss program. That is all.

EricM: Many were shocked that you weren't included in Wednesday in Wyoming, any comments on why?

Chris Harmer: I can't complain. I was in Tuesday in Texas and Monday in Mexico. I've made my contribution to the Bryan Bishop legacy. I just wasn't right for any of the parts obviously. It's Bryan's decision. If he wants me in the future, I'll definitely be in his films.

EricM: Which leads right into my next question. What's in the future for Chris Harmer, the actor?

Chris Harmer: Well, I have another lead role coming up I am happy to say. I won't release any other details on that until the studio announces the project however. Other than that, I am slated to appear in Teufel's upcoming Exo-Squad film. Nothing else has been set in stone, but there are few others in the negotiation stages. Not as much as I'd like. The projects I'm in are great, but I'd like for there to be more of them. I'm an actor, and I love to act.

EricM: As for Chris Harmer, the producer?

Chris Harmer: As a producer, I am working on a few projects. None have been picked up by a studio yet, so call me guys! The first is an animated film called The Prince of Tennis. It's based off a really neat Japanese anime. I also have an untitled original superhero film in the works and hope to be done the script soon. The third is a film I was working on in Film Mogul. It's a Mech Warrior film, but I've put that on hold.

EricM: Any last words before I leave you?

Chris Harmer: Yes. Vote Cobra Commander in 2008!

EricM: Thanks for your time!

Chris Harmer: My pleasure!
With acting roles and a few films in the near future, Chris Harmer is making his splash in HTG. Let’s hope Dick Tracy is a box office hit, just so we can see Harmer in his first HTG acting role! It’s Harmer Time!

Written by EricM for The Hollywood Voice.

When I wrote the two test scenes, I mentioned in my previous “making of”, I didn’t know who the lead was going to be or who the leading lady was going to be. From the moment I started writing that scene though, I knew that Maggie Smith would be perfect for the supporting character featured in that scene. There was no way around it; she had to be the one.

It’s funny that, when you are writing a script, you sometimes don’t have a darn clue which actor will play that big role and which actor will play that top four part, but that sometimes when you start writing a supporting character you’re immediately like “Him/her, and no one else”. Sometimes multiple persons can play a role and sometimes a role can only played by one. Ironically, in the films I have done in FM and now in HTG, that particular role is usually a supporting one.

Supporting actors are an important part for any film, especially in a movie like this one where the colorfulness of the supporting characters, decides for a large part whether it will be an enjoyable experience. So the casting has to be right on the money. I try not to typecast (I gave Robin Williams that “Headhunter” job for instance), and although I feel that for supporting characters I’m more inclined to do that, I haven’t in most cases. There is in my opinion, a big difference between typecasting and casting an actor to their ability. At least, I like to think there is, otherwise I’ve been typecasting my ass off.

Maggie Smith as an upper-class lady (all right, she’s a goose in this film, but still a lady) isn’t exactly a groundbreaking casting decision. Yet, it’s a perfect one simply because that if there’s one role she can play to perfection, it’s that one. Bette Midler as the female mouse who gives her husband a hard time every time something goes wrong isn’t really shocking either, but she’s the best one for that role. If she’s the best, then why not do it?

The oh-so important supporting cast also features Anjelica Huston, who’s work I simply love. I mean, “The Witches” is a superb film and who doesn’t remember her as Morticia Adams? Another comedy legend is Dan Aykroyd, who will appear mainly opposite to the raging little mouse Bette Midler.

What was real great is that you sometimes can get the voice actors in the same studio at the same time. That really gives you the best material because you play better when someone else is standing right in front of you acting his/her heart out. You also get better material with such comedy legends as mentioned above, because they can improvise their way into an even funnier situation than originally planned. I love improvised work, because it’s so spontaneous and right out of the heart, which usually makes it funnier (if it was funny in the first place, of course). It also gives you options as in what material you are going to use.

Sam Rockwell was somebody we definitely considered for the lead. In the end, we felt that Josh Hartnett was a better suit for the main role, but Rockwell impressed us so much we felt we had to offer him something else. Although it’s a totally different role, he was perfect for Sidney, a pigeon. That’s a pretty big supporting role and he really added color to it.

Oh yeah, besides a pigeon, a goose, a whole colony of tomtits, and mice, we also have a magpie (Huston), a snake (Carradine), and a basset (Gleeson).

Judi Dench, who has the smallest part of the three, Kate Beckinsale and Josh Hartnett, play the three main characters. Now, Dench, she is a great actress and already had experience with voice acting (although I won’t name the movie since that would diminish that statement). Her role might be something she doesn’t always play, but I’m sure she can do it and I’m sure everyone else will agree. Her character is always positive, always busy, and always talking and jabbering at a high volume. It was a very fun role to write.

Hartnett and Beckinsale really form a great pair. In a recent interview I already kind of had to defend Hartnett, since people still feel he’s just a pretty boy. But, as I said then, he has a very distinct, sweet voice perfect for the character. Plus, I personally think Hartnett is a good actor. Even if you don’t agree, his voice fits the character so I just had to cast him. Beckinsale won me over with her performance in one of my favorite romantic comedies, “Serendipity”. After that, I knew she was perfect for this role. Her character isn’t anything like in “Serendipity” though, but she can definitely pull it off.

I really think we have a great cast. The voices really fit the characters, and our casting department did a great job. Well, except on Maggie Smith, because that’s a role I cast myself. Besides, a Dame playing a goose is always something to look forward to, especially if another one is playing a tomtit.

Written by SA for The Hollywood Voice.

After everything was in place and I could start writing, the first thing I had to find out was what kind of style I would use. An animation comedy can be done in a lot of different ways, and not just in one. I had two styles in mind that I thought would be suitable for such a story. In one of them the main character of the story, RG the tomit, would be a self-assured bird and a very smooth talker. I like to compare it a bit with a young Eddie Murphy. Talking on and on and thinking he’s the man and that he is always right. He would be the one making all the jokes, and the supporting characters would just be there to give him the assists.

The second style would have a more modest main character, and more colourful supporting characters. The supporting characters would have to assure laughs. The main character wouldn’t be talking all the time, but instead would be a bit more calm. He wouldn’t be that self-assured guy, but a nice, friendly man of whom you wouldn’t expect that he would take on such a dangerous journey. The plus side of this style would be that the risk wouldn’t be as high as in the other style. If, in the first style, the jokes by the main character wouldn’t work (and on paper I wasn’t sure if they would, although I know from my stand-up comedy experiences that they work in that case), then you would have nothing left. In the second style the jokes are more camouflaged and the rest of the story is far more developed, though the change on thunderous laughs went down just a tad.

So I was kind of torn, and I decided to make the same scene in the two different styles. Both would be around eight pages, have the same supporting character, but the thing that was different was the personality of the main character. When I had made both of them, I compared them and there were some main differences. In the “Murphy” style almost all the jokes came from the main character and they were all more stand-up comedian like. The supporting character just gave the assists, made a few nice comments, but the main character would fire one one-liner after the other and one anecdote after the other.

The second style showed a way more developed supporting character. The supporting character really showed bits of her background, and her personality was developed a lot better though it was identical to the first. But the supporting character was visibly developed, something that lacked in the first style. Also, most of the jokes came from the supporting character, while RG got as much screen time as in the first style. The jokes were also less stand-up comedian like and had less to do with telling anecdotes. This would make sure that even if the jokes don’t entirely come across, the story would still be readable and enjoyable because the story and the characters were better developed and the jokes were still there and just as good, but they really advanced the story and didn’t have a little drum roll after them signalling you to laugh. They were still as funny as in the first style, but in such a way that if you don’t like it you wouldn’t be bothered by it while if you do like it, you will still be able to laugh.

So I picked the second version after much consideration, because I actually was kind of fond of the first type. But not only did the second version have all the advantages I just summed up, it would also allow me to use different types of comedy since it would be the supporting characters that would make people laugh. And since they are all very different, I could use different kind of humour so that the film is more diverse. The second style would also allow me to develop the supporting characters better, but also the main characters. Their relationship is better developed, and I could add more depth to every character and storyline. Which was something I really wanted.

Because not only did I want people to laugh, I also wanted to make sure that people would enjoy the film and like it regardless of the amount of laughs. I think that with the style I picked I also made sure it was a light-hearted film (although still pretty deep when you look a bit better into it) which would be easy to read and follow and would be enjoyable in any case. And I think that, even if people don’t laugh throughout the film, it still is very enjoyable read and a very good film.

Now that I picked the style and, with that, automatically picked the personality of the main character, I had to come up with the supporting characters. Who would RG meet on his adventure? What would happen with Daisy while RG is away? How can I make sure that the film isn’t only about RG going back home? The supporting characters are key. And I like to think (hope) I came up with some great characters with very different personalities that would keep the film fresh and interesting. What characters that are, I’m not going to tell just yet. I want that to be a surprise. But I think they are great fun and that they are so diverse the movie will never bore you. And if there’s one thing I hope and really believe, is that it won’t be boring. I think it’s very light-hearted and easy to read, and that it is very enjoyable. Plus, I think that the style and supporting characters keep the story fresh and very diverse. I also hope it’s funny, which is hard to be on paper, but I’m fairly sure that it will be a well-rounded, enjoyable story and I really hope everyone will have fun reading it.

Some projects are special to a person. It could be because the story is close to their heart or because they now finally have the chance to cast their favorite actor. This film is kind of special to me as well. That's why I, SA, will invite you for a behind the scenes look at making this animation project, "Going Home". It will be presented in four columns. This is the first, in which I'm going to tell the story about the start of the project. The second, third, and fourth column will be about the writing process, the actors, and the run up to opening night. Sit back, relax, and enjoy "the making of" regarding one of the first totally animated projects in virtual Hollywood history.

To me, making this film marked multiple firsts. One of them was that this marks the first time that the general storyline wasn't created by yours truly. The film is about a little, tiny bird (a first for me as well because I would've never dreamed I would make a film about a tomtit, not even in my worst nightmare) that is taken away from the one he loves, and then flies all the way back to be with her once again. I'm not lying, this actually happened. It was in newspapers all over the world! A great, true story about what people (and animals) can do when they set their mind and heart to it.

Actually I was quite busy with something totally different than some little bird. I was actually working on an historic epic that would take place during the time Rome ruled supreme. The preparation work was already done, the characters had been given their biographies, and the first 20-percent of the script was already finished. Heavily leaning on Caesar's depiction on his own conquest of Gaul, this was supposed to be a war film about the Battle of Alesia, in which he fought, and conquered, as we all know, the Gaul Vercingetorix.

To me, that was an interesting story. After having good critics and box office success with my last historical epic, and my interest in history all together, I thought a historical film about an era not as fresh in the memories as my last one (now there's a mistake I will never again make) would suit me well. Plus, it would be more action packed, in contrast with my other films: a fantasy/drama, historical drama, contemporary drama, and thriller/character sketch. I wanted to do something new while still leaning on history. I already had done quite a bit of research on the Battle of Alesia, and that was a subject of which I thought it would make a great movie.

But when I was in the chat, RS, who runs Flip Brothers with PJ, said I should check out this internet news article. I clicked on the link he gave me, and what popped up was a story about a little bird that flew all the way back to his original place where he was taken away from because he wanted to get back to his soul mate. The way I recall it RS told me he thought it would make a nice animation film. So, if I was up for it, he would like to give the project to me. At first I actually didn't know for sure whether he was actually serious. I mean, a story about a little bird and turning that into a film? Not exactly a sure box office hit, I would say. But the story really was interesting and I could see it be fun and heart warming. We never have had that in FM or HTG, so I wasn't quite sure whether he was just playing around a bit. Well, he wasn't. So I started on my preparation work and so the process began.

That would mark, as I said earlier, quite a few first times for me. It was the first time I would do animation, the first time I would do comedy (my short script, "How Time Flies", was a comedy I did while I was working on "Going Home"), and the first time I would work with RS on a script in FM/HTG.

With all I kind of have a history, so it isn't exactly a first time. Although my only history with animation, unfortunately, is that I absolutely adore almost every animation that comes out. I'm a sucker for that sort of films. My comedy link is that I've done a bit of stand-up comedy, and thus had to write scripts for those little shows. But that was quite different because I would exactly "act" them out, which is, when done right, an easier way to get people laughing than when they merely read it on paper.

RS and I basically started our working relationship when I was doing journalism work. I believe it started with me doing an article on a film for him. Not sure anymore. Such a long, long time ago. When he got FM Entertainment Weekly off the ground (Ah, the good ol' days) he asked me to do some articles for it, and quite a few of them actually were promoted to the cover story. So I know he kind of appreciated my work, especially when he asked me to work with him on a short film he was making in real life. And I really liked the chance of working with RS in HTG because I, in my turn, really appreciate his work and what he has done first in FM and then in HTG.

So the process now was on its way. I left the battlegrounds of France behind me and went all the way to the wondrous world of animation to see if I could turn that story RS gave me into an animation film worthy of mixing itself between the incredible Disney, Dreamworks, and Pixar (I know, still part of Disney) films I love to watch. It's exciting and new to me. So with a lot of energy I started working on it.

In the second part of the column I will tell a bit more about the writing and preparation process I went through for this film, "Going Home", which will be in theaters Dec. 17, just before Christmas.

Written by SA for The Hollywood Voice.

Animation has always been a risky venture in Virtual Hollywood, and it's evident in the extremely low number of entries into the genre. Despite the classic Disney films in real-life, as well as the more recent entries from Fox and Dreamworks, the only animated films I remember are Film-Mogul's "Sirens in the Sky," "Phantom Squadron," and "Stephen Angell: Cyber Investigator."

Fittingly, in this incarnation of the game, it's another S. Angel, that will (hopefully) open the floodgates to the animation genre, Sweet Angel.

"Going Home," the next Flip Brothers release, is a light-hearted family film centering upon one little tomtit (voiced by Josh Hartnett) who flies home over 60 miles just to return to his love. Sweet and Angelic, indeed.

This true story* is set to be played out with an impressive cast that includes Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Judi Dench, and Sam Rockwell. Directed by Brad Bird and boasting two Dames, four Oscar awards and countless nominations, this film is definitely oozing with talent, and should be a great addition to the HtG theaters.

The Voice sat down with Sweet Angel, one morning, for a heart-to-heart chat.

***

Animation is, obviously, a very visual genre and much of the essence and spirit is conveyed through the images. How do you expect to convey those visuals with your script?

You know, that's the thing that worried me the most. Comedy, in general, has a lot of images like facial expressions that you can't really get across well in a script. So that was definitely a challenge. But I think that my comedy has a good balance of physical comedy and comedy via dialogue. This film won't be slapstick comedy or anything. It will be very light-hearted so that you will enjoy reading it and hopefully have a couple of laughs without someone falling in a puddle of mud with a drum roll at the end which is your cue to laugh. Those moments aren't there.

Is your film gonna be computer animation, or traditional?

It's the age of computers, so we went for that. Although I love traditional animation, especially those old Disney films, we felt that with the computer you can also portray the warmth that, in previous times, you could only get by drawing it. Computer animation has come a long way, look at 'The Polar Express' for example. It's going to continue to grow. Traditional animation will always be there, but currently computer animation is the place to be. You can do everything with.

What made you decide to go for animation, anyway?

It was just the story. RS showed me the newspaper story about this little bird, and it was such a funny story that I couldn't say 'no' to it. About a bird trying everything to get back to his wife. That's a brilliant story. And also a brilliant premise for a film. But we can't let people go around in bird suits or anything. So if we were going to do this, then it had to be animation. There was no way around it.

What's with the choice of Brad Bird? His name had anything to do with it?

Haha, no, I don't pick people by name though it's kind of funny his last name should happen to be Bird. I was at first thinking about the duo that made one of my favorite Disney films, 'Aladdin', Ron Clements and John Musker. They did 'The Little Mermaid' and 'Hercules' as well. I think they've done a terrific job. But Bird just blew the whole world away with his 'The Incredibles', has had great success with 'The Simpsons', and had a critically acclaimed animation picture with 'The Iron Giant'. And, with the more dialogue driven comedy, I thought he would be a tad more suitable as a director for this particular film. Though I would love to do something with Clements and Musker one day.

People would argue that Josh Hartnett would be nothing, if not for his looks. What made you cast in the lead role when the audience won't even be able to see him?

RS warned me for that when I said I wanted him. But you know, it's all about the voice. Hartnett as kind of a warm, dreamy voice. And that's RG. When you hear him he just sounds like a sweet and warm young man. And that's RG. Plus, it are especially the supporting characters who should gather in the laughs (and there are a lot of good supporting characters, so don't worry), and I feared that if I would cast, for example, a pure comedian in the main role that then the chemistry between the main character and the supporting characters would be lost. And I personally think Hartnett is a fine actor who has done quite a lot of movies I enjoyed, and if you see his upcoming projects then you see he is working on things as 'The Rum Diary' with Depp, 'The Black Dahlia' with Scarlett Johannson and by DePalma, 'Sin City', and 'Mozart and the Whale' with up and comer Radha Mitchell. He's going to convince people he can act, I'm sure of it. But again, it's all about the voice, and he just had exactly the type of voice we needed. A pretty distinctive one too, if you also listen to him instead of just looking at him.

Roughly half the cast has British accents, and the other half has American ones (including one who speaks... "ebonics"...). Was this a conscious decision? Does this convey different groups of tomtits (ed.'s note: No I don't know either) or something?

Haha, No, I wish I had put so much thought in it. Besides, there are only four tomtits in the whole cast so to make different groups would be kind of a waste of time for only four tomtits. No, it was just about who fits the character. The main character comes across a great amount of totally different characters, and the tomtits themselves are also totally different people, just like any workplace or school class in our world. I just looked at who could portray that character the best the way I wanted it. I mean, if you look at Maggie Smith's character then you know that there couldn't really have been anyone else. And the same goes for all of them. They have the perfect voices, timing, and characters to portray them.

What's up with this "Making Of" feature? What kind of information will it convey? And who's producing/writing it?

I'm making the 'Making Of' feature. It will be four parts in which I will talk about how this movie came about, what the writing process was like, tell a couple of stories about the cast, and then a final one in which I will look ahead to opening weekend. It's really behind the scenes stuff, things you normally don't read in an interview or article. I mean, I love 'Making Of' features on DVD's, so I thought I would do that here. Really inside the studio, so to speak. Things you don't get to see or hear anywhere else. And I think it will be a fun and interesting feature.

Where did this "true story" come from?

It was all over the world. I'm not making this up! RS showed me an article on Yahoo!, and when I continued my research then I noticed that the story about that little bird making it all the way back to his wife after being taken away was actually in a lot of newspapers. So much attention, and deservedly so. Quite a story.

What's the deal with your trailer with the very-familiar "original" characters?

You liked it?

Yes, I did.

I could've just taken excerpts from the script with a narrator and do it the traditional way, but what you also see more and more people do is that they pick scenes that aren't in the film. So I thought that would be a nice change of pace. When marketing you have to stand out and come up with new things. Hence the 'Making Of' feature and this trailer, which no one, to my knowledge, has ever done here or in FM. And I just love the Looney Tunes. Also because the instant the cartoons start, and you hear one word from every character, then you know who is in it. That's brilliant. You might not think of it at first, but the characters are really brilliantly and carefully created. Every one of them has their own speech, their own manners, and their own characters. Sure, it's all a bit exaggerated, but you have to look beyond that. That's key, I think. I tried to do that with my last film in FM, 'In Memoriam' and with my short script in HTG 'How Time Flies' as well. Give every character a different way of speaking, a different character, different mannerisms, and people will identify a character more easily and can bond with one or hate one more easily. I tried to do that again in this film, with the one difference that this time I, like the Looney Tunes, could exaggerate a bit as well. Which was nice.

Is there really going to be Phil Collins music? Are you writing the songs?

Haha, that's a joke by RS and I'm not sure why he put it on there. No Phil Collins, and I'm not writing songs. But there will be a soundtrack, and it is great. It is, I think, a nice mix of contemporary music and somewhat older music, and a nice mix of up-tempo songs and slower ones. And they really fit the story. We have a song by Alicia Keys, the late Ray Charles, 'Get Here' by Oleta Adams which is one of my favorite songs, an up-tempo blues song by B.B. King, and some other great songs. In total I believe we have ten songs that fit the story perfectly.

***

"Going Home" hits theaters on December 17. It's directed by Brad Bird and features Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Judi Dench, Sam Rockwell, Maggie Smith, Brendan Gleeson, David Carradine, Anjelica Huston, Bette Midler, Dan Aykroyd, and Steve Harvey.

Written by MC48 in The Hollywood Voice.

By now, I'm sure we've all seen or at least heard about UFI's leasing of the Indiana Jones franchise. Incase you have been living under a rock for the past week or so, allow me to enlighten you. On November 22nd Blacksmith of UFI released the thrilling news that UFI has indeed leased the Indiana Jones franchise. This announcement was featured in the form a captivating teaser poster with the word "RETURNS" and a picture of Indy himself. However, this poster left my questions unanswered, how, when, where, why? This is where I come.

Recently, I took it upon myself to sit down with UFI's Blacksmith, to have as many of these questions answered as possible. Blacksmith informed me that he couldn't tell much at this time but, would try to answer each question the best he can. So with that being said, below you will find a "lost ark" of answers to all questions Indiana Jones.

Will we see Harrison Ford return as Indiana?

BS: We are currently in negotiations with Harrison Ford to return. I could never see anyone else playing the role.

Aside from Harrison, have any other actors been discussed for any roles whatsoever?

BS: One of the crucial things about this film is that besides Harrison, we don't want any big box office stars. We want great actors that fit the parts. But we haven't gotten that far in casting yet.

How about a plot or basic story? Has that been fleshed out yet? If so, could you shed what light you can?

BS: The plot is currently being kept under tight security, but I can tell you that it's an original story and not based on any books or Indy comics.

Who will be the producer of the film?

BS: I will be. I'll be writing this one. My goal is to write one or two originals a year and one adaptation. Indy will be my adaptation for next year.

Have you settled on a title for the film?

BS: Yes I have, but we are not releasing it at this time. A teaser poster in the future will reveal the title for the movie.

Now obviously you've got to be a big fan to write an adaptation with such a huge franchise like this, but are there any other leading factors that lead you to purchase the Indiana Jones franchise?

BS: I had wanted to really come out of the starting gate with a bang and we picked the Indy franchise since most of the stories I'm doing now are action/adventure anyway.

Now I don't want to jinx you and for the record, I personally do not doubt your abilities as a writer, but do you feel any pressure knowing that you alone will be responsible for the continuation of such a celebrated franchise?

BS: Of course! The pressure is huge considering the massive failure of the Indy movie in FM. But I can tell you that I intend to keep the spirit of the original movies and not add a gimmick factor like a son or daughter. The great thing about the Indy movies is that you're really not supposed to take the franchise in a "new and unexpected" direction. People just want a great adventure. And I will try my best to deliver that.

Are you eyeing a certain release for the film aside from just "summer" or has that yet to be decided?

BS: The movie is scheduled for a May 20, 2005 release. I always liked the idea of a big movie kicking off the summer.

Do you have anything else you'd like to add?

BS: I just hope that Indy, along with the other films coming out usher in a big wave of HTG success.

I'm sure they will. You've got my blessing and good luck.

BS: Thanks! I appreciate the interview!

So there you have it, hopefully I have helped ease the wait until UFI delivers there next batch of Indy news. Speaking of which, look for a new teaser poster with the title to be released sometime in Feburary. And when that comes around, I'm sure you'll here from me again and be sure to keep those whips crackin'!

Originally written for The Hollywood Voice.

The cool, crisp autumn air swirled around me as I ducked into The Nine-Pin, a seedy bowling alley in upstate, New York. The trees having long since displayed their full fall plumage, stood mostly bare against a clear blue sky. The smell of wood smoke and ball wax flavored the air as I entered the club behind a pair of women wearing pink bowling shirts emblazoned with ‘Pink Ladies’ above rolls of back fat.

Jesus Christ, I thought, I must be really hard up for work to come this far out of the city for an interview.

I found the bar quickly enough – I’m talented that way – and ordered the house vodka on the rocks. The bartender gave me a queer look and reminded me it was only 10 a.m. There’s nothing more annoying than a self-righteous bartender. I took my drink and headed for a relatively clean booth with a view of the lanes. Smoking nervously, a habit I tried to give up during my ‘sabbatical’, I waited for Mattricks. Thankfully, just as I finished my cigarette and before the vodka stripped the enamel from my teeth, Mattricks and Chris walked in.

I noticed right away that Chris was the shy type. Mattricks, however, enthusiastically gave me all the dope on “Gutterball” the Thanksgiving Release from United Filmworks International.

Roxy: Tell me about Gutterball. What is this movie about?

Matt: I have described as a hybrid between Happy Gilmore and Rocky. It is about the underdog, Jim Hodges (Will Ferrell), who is an unemployed, 39 year old simpleton trying to save his Uncle Rod's struggling bowling alley from the money hungry bowling superstar Ray Stamos(Ben Stiller). He has no experience bowling so the creepy night janitor/former PBA champ, Wally (Christopher Walken) teaches him everything he knows.

This leads to a final showdown between Ray and Jim...Winner Take All.

Roxy: Who else can we expect to see in the gutter – er, Gutterball?

Matt: Will Ferrell, Jason Lee, Christopher Walken, Jerry Stiller, John Stamos, Molly Shannon, Mark Paul Gosselaar, and Erik Estrada.

Roxy: Which director did you choose, and why?

Matt: Sureshot, Blacksmith and I decided on The Farrelly Brothers because of their experience doing off the wall comedies. Plus they have done the greatest bowling movie ever, Kingpin.

Roxy: You mean the one about the one-handed bowler and the Amish guy? In all fairness, how many bowling movies have there been?

At that Mattricks’ eyebrows shot up and Chris stopped eating his chili fries mid-chew. I thought to myself, I probably got off the Prozac a little sooner than I should have. I made a mental note to call Dr. Feelgood from the car.

Roxy: Sorry, I’m sorry. It’s PHS – Pre-Holiday-Syndrome. What about Ray Stamos makes him a good bowler? An interesting character?

Matt: He was also taught by the greatest bowler of all time. He also has the confidence to beat anyone he faces. He's an interesting character because of his air headedness and attitude.

Roxy: Sounds very Zoolander. Why Ben Stiller?

Matt: Ben has always had a reputation of being real easy to work with. Plus, he might be the best 'character' in the comedy ranks today. Just look at Dodgeball, Heavyweights, Happy Gilmore, and, as you mentioned, Zoolander.

Roxy: I swear to god, I thought Zoolander was a documentary. I KNOW I dated that guy in college. Do you have to know a lot about bowling to enjoy this movie?

Matt: All you have to know is the basics. A strike is good, a gutterball is not. I tried to keep the story more on the characters rather than the bowling.

Roxy: Can we expect to see a sports training montage?

Matt: You know it! What's a sports movie without one?

Roxy: Are you a bowler?

Matt: I bowl once a week with my little brother and my girlfriend. I'm not very good but I do gradually improve my score. I'm right around 145.

Roxy: How big are your balls?

Matt: I use a 12 pound ball normally but I can handle a 14 pounder...oh wait was that a sexual innuendo, if that's the case...no comment.

Impressive. ;)

Roxy: Did you do a lot of research into the life of a PBA bowler for this movie? Is it really glamorous? Okay, granted they probably make more money than me, but Paris Hilton? Does a bowler, even a famous one, see that kind of action?

Matt: You forget Paris Hilton would have sex with a tree if the tree were holding a bag of cash but anyways, I researched very little. I really don't care what a bowler does in his or her spare time. I kind of poke fun of the fact that ANYONE can become a star bowler if given the chance.

Roxy: Wow, you do know Paris. When is bowling season, exactly? Do they have a Super Bowl?

Matt: The bowling season is during the fall and they have weekly events Sunday afternoons on ESPN. And I really don't know if they have a Super Bowl or not.

Roxy: Sorry, my Sunday afternoons are dedicated to professional footall. Speaking of, you never hear of a pro-bowler getting busted with cocaine, killing their wife, attacking a photographer or driving drunk - why is that? Are they just good people, or do they just not get enough press?

Matt: Most bowlers are really just Average Joes but if one of them were caught with a hooker and a bag of crack I'm sure no one would hear about it.

That’s a relief!

Roxy: There are some heavy hitters coming out Thanksgiving weekend. What makes Gutterball special? I mean despite the Montana Jones and Night of the Squirrells Al Qaeda connection.

Matt: It's special because very few good comedies have hit FM/HTG theaters since I've been around. It is also a very easy read meant for one to enjoy. And like I've said before, if you see Night of the Squirrels or Montana Jones then the terrorists won. One more thing...Freakin’ Erik Estrada!!!

Roxy: I know Erik Estrada, and trust me, he is a freak. What makes Gutterball similar or different from other sports comedies like Kingpin, Baseketball, or Dodgeball?

Matt: It's similar in the sense that in all these movies it's the Haves vs. The Have Nots. If you enjoyed any one of these three pictures then you'll love Gutterball.

Roxy: What inspired you to write this movie?

Matt: My friend Burcham (Chrisb_Chicken) and I were sitting in the back of my study hall room thinking of an off the wall comedy idea. He came up with the idea and I told him I'd write it. He's the real mad man behind Ray Stamos. I just put the plot and jokes together.

Chris blushed beneath his chili fry stained cheeks, and I made a mental note to look out for future Mattricks/Chicken comedies.

Roxy: Is there anything in particular you want people to know about this movie before we wrap it up?

Matt: I don't want to give away too much so all I'll say is...Erik Estrada. And also if this movie does well, look for the sequel some time next year.

Roxy: I have noticed since HTG came up the overall quality of films released has improved greatly over a certain other Hollywood Simulation game. Why do you think that is?

Matt: I think that the writers are more experienced. Plus if you prefer HTG to other games it means you are far more committed to writing and are looking for real competition instead of the free ride some like.

True, true. And from a reviewer standpoint, it is a lot easier and more fun to review better works. I’m not going to lie to you, kids – I’ve read and reviewed stuff on FM and other games that were physically painful to read. Honest to god, I once fell asleep reading a FM script.


Roxy: Very true. So, that’s about it for me. I looked around for the grease stained waitress who had promised our check 20 minutes ago and tried to make small talk while we waited. So, Mattricks, what are your plans for the Thanksgiving holiday?

Matt: My girlfriend Tracy will probably make a nice meal for myself, Burcham, my little brother Ben, and my daughter Annabella. Then we'll sit and watch the Colts kick ass versus the Lions. Nothing too special.

Roxy: Colts versus Lions – now that’s funny.

After the Butterball, go see Gutterball in HTG theaters this Thanksgiving.

And look for the Colts to beat the Lions by no less than 10. Which reminds me. I need to call my bookie.

Originally posted on The Hollywood Voice. Written by Roxy.

Due to MC48’s own film being released in HTG theatres this weekend, I will be writing his column to ensure that it remains unbiased.

Thanksgiving Weekend marks the first weekend that HTG will have three-way showdown for top spot. Bryan Bishop’s horror/comedy “Night of the Squirrels”, MC48’s family adventure film, “The Montana Joneses” and Mattrick’s “Gutterball”.

Although there hasn’t been a ton of buzz about “Night of the Squirrels”, a Flip Bros release, it is still a Bryan Bishop movie. Coming into HTG 10k Case Productions already had a strong reputation for releasing solid films, however with two successful films already released their production name alone will fill seats this weekend.

The ad campaign of 21st Century Cat’s “The Montana Joneses” has been very rewarding for many. Their poster contests have created a lot of interest and it’s adventure theme, which seems inspired by such classics as “Indiana Jones” and “The Goonies” should delight audiences as well.

“Gutterball”, being released by UFI, also used a contest to incorporate audience in it’s ads and it’s become quit competitive. It has an interesting and funny premise, however Mattricks’ previous release opened to less than stellar box-office returns.

With a fairly strong real life box office pot this weekend there will be plenty of money to go around. However will it be enough for all three films?

Night of the Squirrels/The Montana Joneses/Gutterball

Director: Sam Raimi/Gore Verbinski/The Farrely Brothers
A tough category to choose as all three directors are very strong. Raimi has had more of a cult following for a long time but his recent stint with Spiderman has introduced him to mainstream audiences. “Night of the Squirrels” should allow both audiences to enjoy the film. Verbinski was strong lately with Pirates and The Ring but he doesn’t have that long term following. The Farrelly Brothers have always been the king of stupid comedies but they just can’t conjure up the box office the others can. “Night of the Squirrels” takes this round.

Cast: Myers-Dunst-Campbell-Gylennhaal/Cage-Lohan-Culkin-Breslin/Stiller-Farrel-Lee-Walken
Tough decision here. “The Montana Joneses” has strong leads in Cage and teen star Lohan but Culkin and Breslin aren’t big enough names yet. With a few recent flops for Stiller it’s questionable how influential he is, however Farrel is the newest household name for comedies. Like Montana Joneses, “Gutterball”’s supporting cast doesn’t have the needed draw. “Night of the Squirrels” has a great cast. Myers is a comedy veteran who continues to garner in box office numbers, Dunst is a emerging actress who definitely has some sex appeal, Gylennhaal is becoming quite popular along the ladies and Campbell is a cult hero. Mixed audiences for this film but it’s appeal to such large audiences will help in the box-office.

Producer: Bryan Bishop/MC48/Mattricks
Mattricks’ released his first film last month to average reviews and a low opening, not giving him much leverage against the other two. MC48’s “Shades of God” was critically acclaimed however it didn’t bring in a huge box office. Bryan Bishop on the other hand seems unbeatable. With critical acclaim and huge box office numbers he has released a string of modern classics. Bryan and his Squirrel’s take another round!

Audience Tracking: Night of the Squirrels/The Montana Joneses/Gutterball
Probably the easiest category for me to decide. Bryan’s squirrels haven’t gathered much attention either in the press or the posters. Mattrick’s contest is popular however without any articles in the Voice it’s missing out on huge marketing opportunities. The Montana Joneses however, has been building up viewers through it’s poster comments and one or two articles which appeared in the Voice. MC48 takes this round!

Conclusion
Can Bryan Bishop be stopped? Not in this Head-To-Head challenge. However with some steep competition this weekend it isn’t too unlikely that Bishop could finally be beat. Only next week’s box office numbers will tell!

Advantage
Night of the Squirrels

Originally printed in The Hollywood Voice. Article by EricM.

Love can lend us wings. That’s what SA and Flip Bros Studios will try to prove in “Going Home” the first animation movie ever released in HTG, opening on December 17th. We’ll follow the adventures of RG, a little tomtit, who decides to find Daisy, the love of his life after he has been caught with several other tomtits and sent to an island, far away. We have decided to meet producer SA and asked him to reveal more on his project.

What will be the title of your film?

Well, you are lucky that I didn’t answer that question when you sent the questions because the title was, at that point, still unknown. There were several titles we thought we could use, but we thought that the title “Going Home” was the most fitting and catchy title. It’s a short title that represents an action, which is what we wanted.

The trend is to hire great stars to voice animated heroes. So, can we expect great actors in your film? in other word: who belongs to the cast?

That is something still undecided yet. I can say that we are in talks with some good actors and that the script is circling around. Animation is very in demand since it doesn’t cost the actor an immense amount of time while the pay check stays intact. But, as said, the script is circling around. For the main character we are looking for a young, dreamer type, and I know that Owen Wilson has shown a certain degree of interest, and Josh Hartnett, and I even heard the names of Adam Sandler and Sam Rockwell floating around. For the female lead the scripts is supposed to have fallen in the hands of great romantic comedy actresses like Radha Mitchell, Kate Beckinsale, Cate Blanchett, and Hope Davis. So it’s going to be interesting to see who indeed officially shows interest and who we can sign a deal with. And then we only have talked about the two main roles while a big part of the film and the comedy will be carried by some colourful supporting characters. I can say with a fair amount of certainty that some comedic legends that I admire beyond imagination will appear in the film. Maggie Smith and Bette Midler are two of them, and they can really bring something to a film and make something out of their lines. Nothing has officially been arranged yet though. In the end, it of course doesn’t matter how big of a name we sign but that we sign the most fitting actor for the role. We do have a director, but his name will be announced shortly after everything is completely official.

This film is based on a true story. Does that mean that you flew thousands miles to find your girlfriend?

Haha, I fear I’m not that romantic. No, it’s the actual story of a little tomtit, weighing about 10 gram, that flew back to his beloved one after being taken away. And that was a long flight, especially for such a tiny bird. Love is a powerful thing.

Do you think that your tomtits can do better than Bishop's squirrels?

Well, I’m fairly certain our films will be totally different. This film is more made in the Disney style. Very light-hearted, which makes it a fast and enjoyable read even if you don’t have to laugh out loud every five minutes. Although that still is a goal, of course. But making people laugh is hard, so that’s why we picked a very light-hearted style which will make it an enjoyable read regardless of whether you have to laugh or not. During the production process we basically wrote parts of the script in two styles and see what worked best. The style we discarded relied more on the jokes than the style we eventually picked. Plus the style we picked also gave us the chance to develop the supporting characters a bit more and flesh them out, which I think works better.

Your film deals with traditional cartoon themes (a 'little' hero who have to face a difficult task with the help of characters completely different from him, etc...), but it looks like there will be a kind of ecologist discourse, right?

Well, naturally I had to do some research on what kind of birds tomtits are and who are their enemies and things like that. But with that said, we don’t take everything too seriously of course, although I’m confident there will be little mistakes as far as the animals and their habits are concerned. But it isn’t really an ode to nature. If anything, it is an ode to comradery and love, but in a very fresh and fashionable jacket.

What kind of audience is your film targeting: children, grown-ups, both?

Both can enjoy it, like I think a lot of people have enjoyed “Finding Nemo” and other animation films. I think that children will have a blast, but that a more adult audience will have a great time as well. I did make sure there are no cuss words in the script so that parents can take their children to it and that they both will have an enjoyable time at the cinema.

What is your next project?

I’m going to work very hard on this project and then, based on the reception of this film, I will decide my next project. I have ideas for an historical epic, but I also have ideas for a drama/comedy. I can’t really say yet. But now I’m focusing on making this film as good as the true story deserves it to be. I think the marketing and finishing of this project will take most of our time.

Written by Malko for The Hollywood Voice.

I think I’ll be the first to try to predict the HTG Box Office. Why has it never been tried before, perhaps it’s how varied it actually is. You can never be sure. However I think that it is possible, with a little effort.

Well no one really knows what the Box-Office formula is exactly; you can get a pretty good idea. Big stars, lucrative ad campaigns and a huge money weekend in real life will result in a hit. There are a few other factors, such as theater voting and buzz voting which factor in, however even with low numbers in these areas you can take in a good chunk of cash.

November 12 sees the opening of two new films, “Truth Takes Time,” the first release from Trans-Atlantic Features, and “Wrestling With Hollywood” from 21st Century Cat. I won’t delve too much into the match up here, MC48 already broke it down in Head-To-Head. Since we’re already aware of who should be taking home the money this weekend, I’m here to predict how much. So without further ado:

Truth Takes Time........................... 39.4
Sal.............................................. 23.8
Once Upon A Time In Mexico............ 18.6
Wrestling with Hollywood................. 7.6
The Paw....................................... 6.8
The Seventh Son........................... 4.3
Near and Dear............................... 3.2
Small Town Trap............................ 2.9
The Giver..................................... 2.7
Shades of God............................... 2.4

First thing, Sal is second. To some that may seem bias, however that prediction was gathered with the help of mc48, Mattricks, NightTraveler, Jag and W who were all present in our chat room during the creation of this article.

Second, Truth Takes Time is getting pretty high numbers in the predictions, quite higher actually. The same accomplices who helped with the predictions tried to convince me that there was no way that it would beat The Seventh Son at the Box Office. However I’ll quickly go through why.

1. Take a look at the talent list; Truth Takes Time beats out The Seventh Son by a fairly decent span of points.

2. Take a look at the critical scores of The Seventh Son. It averages out to a mere 67. Not a very high average compared to many HTG releases. Also consider the reputation of CS Wood. The majority of his films opened to strong reviews, even the blockbusters. Expect better reviews for Truth Takes Time

3. Buzz, one of the few things The Seventh Son could beat Truth Takes Time out with. The comments on ads have been about even, however Trans-Atlantic Films has used the newest buzz medium to their advantage. With two articles specifically for the film and a third on their studio they definitely have the advantage.

Hmm…I’m beginning to think this article could just serve as my ranting room. However, I’m done for this week. Any comments on the predictions send them over to bodegage@hotmail.com or give me a PM [on the message board].

QUICK FACT (on this week's releases): As many ways as they’ve been compared already, I’ve found another. November 5 rivals The Paw and Sal were both written to be filmed by the writers as independent films!

Written by EricM for The Hollywood Voice.