Neither Alan Parker nor Roddy Doyle will have anything to do with Miramax's proposed sequel to Parker's 1991 movie of Doyle's novel, The Commitments. Miramax, which distributed My Left Foot and The Crying Game in the US, and produced Pulp Fiction, The English Patient and Shakespeare in Love, has commissioned playwright Warren Leight to script a sequel to The Commitments. It will be produced by Cathy Konrad, who produced the Scream trilogy for Miramax.
Announcing the plan, Daily Variety said: "It's unclear whether Parker will return." However, Parker, who has never directed a sequel, has repeatedly ruled out any prospect of being involved with a sequel to The Commitments. Interviewed in this newspaper a few weeks ago, Roddy Doyle said that, despite no shortage of offers, and many misleading media stories, he never had any interest in a movie sequel to The Commitments.
"I still get calls every year from people wanting to turn it into a stage musical," he said, "but it's time to wave goodbye to that story. It would be like flogging a dead horse to do anything else with it now, and I wouldn't enjoy that experience at all."
The proposed sequel apparently will bring back some of the original cast, whose characters had their dreams dashed by the end of the 1991 film. The likely storyline will involve pairing some of the old faces with new ones, and putting the band back together for a trip to America.
The Sam Mendes film American Beauty has taken the best film prize from the Online Film Critics Society, which also named Kevin Spacey best actor for that film and Mendes as best director. Reese Witherspoon was voted best actress for Election, which also shared the best screenplay award with Being John Malkovich. Catherine Keener took home best supporting actress for Being John Malkovich, and Haley Joel Osment was named best supporting actor for The Sixth Sense. Best documentary went to The Buena Vista Social Club, and Run Lola Run was named best foreign-language movie.
George Clooney has agreed with the US television network CBS to carry his ambitious live, black-and-white restaging of the 1964 nuclear thriller Fail-Safe. Stephen Frears is tipped to direct the production, which will be shown in prime time on August 9th. Noah Wyle, Clooney's former er co-star, has been cast in a key role. Clooney's attempt to bring Fail-Safe to television is believed to be the first feature-length dramatic production broadcast live on US television since CBS cancelled Playhouse 90 in 1960.
An evening course on Russian cinema begins at the IFC next Tuesday and runs for eight weeks until February 29th. The course will chart the development of Russian cinema, its reflection of Russian history and politics, and its influence on world cinema. Among the classic films to be screened as part of the course are October, The Cranes Are Flying, Solaris and Come and See. For further information contact the organisers, the Education department of the Film Institute of Ireland, on (01) 679-5744.
