Thanks to some unusually humid weather, greater L.A. — and its air quality — is just beginning to recover from the still ongoing Station Fire. Hollywood is similarly recovering from the news of the Disney/Marvel merger. Still, there are a few items.
* If you’re a member of the cult around 1999’s “The Boondock Saints,” you’ll be happy to hear that Troy Duffy and company are back and that “The Boondock Saints: All Saints Day” has been picked up for distribution. I missed both the original film and “Overnight,” the documentary about misbehavior and rank miscalculations of its director. Now, maybe, I should see both.
The movie has a lot of fans of the young and male variety, and I’m one of those two things. Still, I’ve always had a sneaking suspicion I’d hate the movie and love the documentary, but we’ll see. The cast for the sequel looks very good, however. Two favorites of mine are included, stand-up genius and highly underrated thesp Billy Connolly is back from the original and the excellent Julie Benz of “Dexter” and “Angel” is featured as well.
* Guy Ritchie is apparently recreating himself as a franchise film director these days, and in the wake of his upcoming “Sherlock Holmes,” he’s been signed to do an adaptation of DC’s “Lobo,” which I take it will be some form of violent space opera. Nothing wrong with that.
* Presumably with inglourious cash in its pocket, The Weinstein Company has made an acquisition. Colin Firth will be taking the lead in an upcoming film about England’s King George IV VI, “The King’s Speech.” Back in 1994, the very good stage adaptation, “The Madness of King George” dealt with the mental issues of George IV’s dad ancestor, George III. According to legend, the title was changed from “The Madness of George III” because of a fear that prospective filmgoers might assume it was a third sequel. They might as well re-title this one “The Speech Impediment of King George.”
