Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Gillian Anderson, and Mark Williams to Star in 18th Century Zombie Film THE CURSE OF THE BUXOM STRUMPET
by Matt Goldberg Posted: May 18th, 2011 at 8:40 am
It looks like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies isn’t the only period-piece/zombie flick mash-up in town. ScreenDaily reports that Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Gillian Anderson, and Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley from the Harry Potter films) are attached to star in Matthew Butler’s The Curse of the Buxom Strumpet. The film is based off Butler’s 2010 short comedy E’gad Zombies, which also starred McKellen. The plot of Buxom Strumpet, co-written by Tori Hart, is about the “inhabitants of a small seaside town who are struck down with a deadly illness.” No details are provided on that deadly illness, but I imagine it involves glassy eyes, coming back to life, and a hunger for human flesh.
While I’m a fan of this cast, I’m still not sold on the appeal of these movies beyond the novelty they provide. I can understand Butler using the premise for a short film, but I’m worried that the joke becomes stale when stretched out to feature length. Hit the jump to read a synopsis of E’gad Zombies and to see a trailer for the short.
http://collider.com/ian-mckellen-judi-dench-curse-of-the-buxom-strumpet/91508/
Mel Gibson in Talks for SLEIGHT OF HAND
by Brendan Bettinger Posted: May 17th, 2011 at 10:32 pm
Mel Gibson is in talks to star opposite Kiefer Sutherland, Gerard Depardieu, and Thomas Jane in the heist comedy Sleight of Hand. According to Variety, the story centers on “a bunch of bungling burglars in Paris who inadvertently steal a rare gold coin belonging to a gangster.” Til Schweiger, Johnny Hallyday, Jon Lovitz, and Eric Cantona also star. The initial announcement at the Cannes Film Festival indicates Sleight of Hand will be shot entirely in Paris from July to September. Brad Mirman (The Confession) will direct from his own script.
It’s hard not to think of every news item involving Gibson as a step in his public image rehabilitation, but I have nothing insightful to say about this possibility. Everyone loves a good heist film, especially if you let the crew loose in Paris. I like that the cast skews a bit older, and Gibson seems like a fine fit in however big a role he plays. (See, banal.)
Gibson has How I Spent My Summer Vacation in the can, but the action movie is still in search of distributor for a domestic release. (The rights to most international territories sold quickly.) Read the official synopsis for Sleight of Hand after the jump. http://collider.com/mel-gibson-sleight-of-hand/91497/