For nearly 20 years now, Ayn Rand’s mammoth ode to capitalism and self-interest, Atlas Shrugged, has labored to find its way to a place it probably doesn’t belong anyway: the movie screen.  Why so long a journey?  Well, while some people (Alan Greenspan!  John Mackey!) consider it the intellectual equivalent to The Lord of The Rings, that trilogy’s success didn’t exactly wrap up with a 100-page speech to the masses.

But now, in a roll-the-dice move that would make John Galt proud (or Howard Roark laugh), the current option-holder of Shrugged, entrepreneur John Aglialoro, has set a, gulp, June 11th start date on the production.

And while that’s only weeks away, and he’s currently lacking a single cast member (no word yet on Angelina Jolie or Charlize Theron as Dagny Taggart), Aglialoro has at least selected a director: Stephen Polk.  Okay, if not Aglialoro, is Polk worried about the film’s casting?  Nope!

Polk said they are not intimidated to film a storied book even if stars don’t align.  “For more than 15 years, this has been at studios and there has been a whole dance around who’ll play the iconic roles,” Polk said.  “Making it an independent film was the game-changer.  Everybody is saying, how can you shoot this movie without a star?  We’re shooting it because it’s a good movie with great characters.  We’ve been in pre-production for months, but kept it a mystery.  Part of the reason is because there’s so much crap about how you need a great big budget and stars.  We aren’t looking for big names to trigger press or financing.”

For those of you wondering how Polk, whose acting credits far outweigh those of his directing (29 to 1), landed such a gig, what follows is the trailer for his last (and first) film, ‘08’s Cherly Ladd and Barry Bostwick-starring, Baggage:

 
Okay, now, given the above, we still can’t be sure how the resulting Atlas Shrugged film is going to turn out.  But here’s something I do know: it’s gonna have a hard time stopping critics from seizing upon one of the novel’s central images: the train wreck.

Best of luck to both Polk and Aglialoro!

’Atlas Shrugged’ Rights Holder Sets June Production Start

Previously on Dangerous Minds:

Ayn Rand Assholes

Frank Llloyd Wright on Ayn Rand, “What’s My Line”

 
(via Retro Thing)

 
Damn you, Zachary Oberzan—I was just days away from filming my own one man Schindler’s List!  Well, I’ve never seen the Rambo films starring Sylvester Stallone, but something tells me they’re not gonna pack half the charm of Oberzan’s adaptation of David Morell’s ‘72 First Blood novel. 

Beyond adapting, though—and to further simplify the callsheets—Oberzan plays every character to boot, including John Rambo.  He also served as his own director, editor, stylist, caterer, etc.  Working with the exceptionally low budget of 96 bucks, Oberzan shot the whole thing in his 220-square-foot NYC apartment.  Here’s what the fine folks at Cinefamily say of the film (where it screens in L.A. this Saturday):

Eschewing Stallone-style spectacle for a YouTube-esque zen, this feature-length no-fi epic ambitiously re-imagines the novel as a ludicrous, exhibitionist fever dream.  Imagine if a Max Fischer play from Rushmore was imbued with Jean-Luc Godard’s penchant for sardonic realism, only to be filtered through a grade-schooler’s “Let’s build a fort!” sincerity.  Sound crazy? It is—wonderfully so.  Yet, the impressive, good-humored gusto with which Oberzan presents himself surprisingly makes the film gel into an affecting, emotional whole.

The Flooding With Love For The Kid trailer follows below, but you can purchase a copy of the entire film here.

 
The SlashFilm interview with Zachary Oberzan

 
If like me (and Richard and Tara) you’re still coming to terms with last night’s losing of Lost, here’s another metaphysical jungle tale to your possible rescue (it will also suck up about 120 less hours of your life).  It’s this year’s winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, Apichatpong Weerasethakul‘s Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.

Here’s this year’s jury head, Tim Burton, on the film: “I liked it because it is a movie that you normally don’t see, not Western, with fantasy elements done in a way I have never seen before.  It is a beautiful strange dream.  It has a quiet reflective nature, full of surprises.”

Surprises, indeed!  One of those past lives of Uncle Boonmee apparently features him as a catfish who makes love to a princess in a blue lagoon by wiggling his tale.  Let’s see ya try that one, Man In Black…I mean, Samuel!  The Lost-evocative trailer for Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives follows below:

 
Tim Burton Announces Palme d’Or Winner at Cannes: Thai Film Uncle Boonmee

 
For some time, bizarro auteur David Lynch has paid the bills by directing quirky/beautiful television commercials for products like Clear Blue home pregnancy tests, Gucci perfume and Nissan’s Micra. (He directed a particularly odd one for cigarettes.) Now Lynch is back with “Lady Blue Shanghai” a 16-minute short for Dior with French actress Marion Cotillard making mysterious moves around Shanghai locales searching for a glowing purse. All the (in)famous Lynchian touches are there, with the addition this time of John Galliano’s stunning art direction.

Translation: It’s a weird little film. The House of Dior is getting double its money’s worth by funding this project: every hip blog on the planet—including this one—will race to post about the latest from David Lynch. This is a good thing, of course. How else would these diversions get funded?
 

Samuel L. Jackson apparently just revealed that there’s going to be a Nick Fury movie. I’m hoping for a cross between Hasslehoff’s version and Danger: Diabolik, with proper Steranko sets.

Earlier this week Samuel L. Jackson appeared on what is surely the most annoying radio show in the history of the world, Radio Big Boy, and dropped a huge Marvel bomb. While talking about his nine picture deal with Marvel and confirming that he won’t be in Thor, he revealed this:

“The Avengers should start shooting some time next year, and then some time after that there’ll be a big S.H.I.E.L.D. movie.”

That’s right, Nick Fury’s secret organization will get its own solo movie. At least if Sam knows what he’s talking about. It’s worth noting, however, that during the interview Sam seemed confused about some of Marvel’s other movies. For instance he had no idea who was playing Captain America (even though he’ll be in the movie) and thought Chris Pine was playing Thor (it’s Chris Hemsworth). So it’s not exactly like he’s a Marvel insider. Still, if there’s one project you’d think he’d be clued in on it would be any potential S.H.I.E.L.D. movie since as Nick Fury, he’d be the star of it.

(Cinema Blend: S.H.I.E.L.D. movie coming)

(John Phillip Law and Marisa Mell in Danger: Diabolik)
 
There’s no question that one of the more beloved movies here at Dangerous Minds is that deliriously kitschy caper film, Danger: Diabolik, Mario Bava‘s ‘68 ode to love, leather, Marisa Mell and…Marisa Mell.  The same could be said for its somewhat hard-to-find Ennio Morricone soundtrack.

While uniformly great from start to finish, and full of quotable dialogue, it’s perhaps best remembered for its insanely catchy main title song, Deep Deep Down.  You can hear Christy‘s renditions of the song below (in both English and Italian), but below that is one from Mike Patton.

Say what you will about Patton’s various bands (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle), because I can say very little.  He does, though, do a fully committed Deep Deep Down!

 
And in other Governor news…what if Arnold Schwarzenegger from Total Recall sang about his wants, needs, and desires to see the colonies of Mars instead of (sorta) speaking them?  It might look something like Jon and Al Kaplan‘s Total Recall: The Musical.  I do believe it’s a work-in-progress, but the first song from it, The Mountains of Mars, is just now starting to circulate. 

Jon and Al are also the team behind Silence!, the musical version of Silence of the Lambs.  If you’re curious about that project’s standout song, “Put The Fucking Lotion In The Basket,” click here.

 
(via Cinematical)

 
NSFW-ish! ‘70s boobage.
 
Im Staub der Sterne
 
(via Das Kraftfuttermischwerk)

(via The Daily What)