Pardon the tabloid headline. But after reading this story in Variety on the stresses that people in the visual-effects industry have had to deal with lately, my heart does go out to them: If the visual effects industry had its way, the Disney tentpole that sailed into theaters May 25 might have been named “Pirates of the Caribbean: At Wits’ End.” Industrial Light & Magic topper Chrissie England, who’s seen many blockbusters come through her shop, calls the editing/post-production race... Read more

Click here for the Daily Mail story on this. Read more

Martin Scorsese talks to the Associated Press about Silence, the Shusaku Endo novel he hopes to film next year: Scorsese is turning his sights to a story of missionaries in 17th century Japan. “Silence” is a long-cherished project that he hopes to shoot partially in Japan in summer 2008. Although it’s a period piece, Scorsese thinks it has lessons for America today. “It raises a lot of questions about foreign cultures coming in and imposing their way of thinking on... Read more

Here are the figures for the past weekend, arranged from those that owe the highest percentage of their take to the Canadian box office to those that owe the lowest. Away from Her — CDN $400,019 — N.AM $1,326,458 — 30.2%Hot Fuzz — CDN $2,720,000 — N.AM $21,125,512 — 12.9%Fracture — CDN $4,400,000 — N.AM $34,530,840 — 12.7%Georgia Rule — CDN $1,620,000 — N.AM $12,867,455 — 12.6%Spider-Man 3 — CDN $27,830,000 — N.AM $282,379,655 — 9.9%28 Weeks Later — CDN... Read more

Cinematical and Canada.com report that Eric Idle is furious at the makers of Shrek the Third because they “stole” the coconut- clapping gag from Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975). But, um, wasn’t Monty Python just referencing the fact that that was how Foley artists had been making hoofbeat sounds for years? And does not the relevant scene in Shrek the Third show people using other bits of old-fashioned Hollywood craft — such as the moving scenery backdrop? Please... Read more

Variety and the Hollywood Reporter have posted their reviews of Carlos Reygadas’s Silent Light, which played at the Cannes film festival and concerns a love triangle among Mexican Mennonites. MAY 29 UPDATE: Here’s the trailer (hat tip to The ScreenGrab):Click here if the video file above doesn’t play properly. Read more

BridgeToTheStars.net has posted a report on the press conference for The Golden Compass at Cannes. Among their blurbs: Speaking of the book’s philosophy, Chris Weitz said roughly that it isn’t against religion, it’s against any form of forced dogma; it deals with human spirit, justice, free choice. He called the book’s version of the Magisterium “a version of the Catholic Church gone astray” and finished by saying that he feels they’ve really done service to Philip Pullman and that those... Read more

Jim Carrey and Owen Wilson gave it a pass. Now it is Mike Myers’ turn to develop a remake of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947). Keep in mind that Myers hasn’t made a live-action film in four years, and he has quite a few projects on his plate already. Read more