The much-hyped German film, “The Baader Meinhof Complex” failed to light up the box-office in its native home. The film which has been picked by Germany as its official Foreign Oscar representation failed to beat “Wall-E” which just opened in Deutschland. Produced by Bernd Eichinger, the film’s disappointing opening couldn’t even match the producers last films’ openings; arthouse pics like “Downfall,” and “Perfume — The Story of a Murderer.” ‘Baader Meinhof’ met controversy earlier this year when it threatened Germany reporters and journalists with a 100, 000 Euro fine if they wrote about the film before its September 25 German release. Maybe this is its karma comeuppance for such a oily maneuver. [Variety] Ps, Mark Olson of the L.A. Times has was at the first U.S. screening of the film in Los Angeles. The film is about an infamous West German terrorist organization that emerged out of the student protest movement in the late 1960s, which itself is problematic if it romanticizes the group’s actions. He seems to mostly like it and writes, “the film is imperfect, compelling, meticulous, draining, unnerving and more than a little thrilling. The filmmakers have accomplished the remarkable feat of capturing the gang’s glamorous sex appeal while also getting at their failure and futility,” but still doesn’t sound totally convinced that the filmmakers balanced the “genuinely radical, or at least groovy… group, without condoning their actions.”
The indie film, “Frozen River” from Sony Pictures Classics, is the first film to send screeners to Academy members this year. SPC is touting Melissa Leo for lead actress consideration (she’s already garnered a lot of praise and early Oscar buzz) and Courtney Hunt for director and original screenplay. In our minds, only Leo should be considered seriously. [Variety]
Thomas Dekker of “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” is currently in talks to play Marco in the planned remake of “Fame.” We’re no experts on “Fame” to be sure, but both the original movie and the TV show didn’t have a major character by the name (the TV show had a minor character of that name). [THR]