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(Welcome to Seeing Double, a series where two strangely similar films released around the same time are put head-to-head. This time: 1992’s Christopher Columbus: The Discovery and 1492: Conquest of Paradise.) Hollywood is a land of mystery. Who killed the Black Dahlia? Was Marisa Tomei the real winner of 1993’s Best Supporting Actress Oscar? Are TV shows just really long movies? […]

The post Seeing Double: ‘Christopher Columbus: The Discovery’ vs ‘1492: Conquest of Paradise’ on Their 25th Anniversary appeared first on /Film.

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Deep Impact Vs Armageddon is not the only time similar movies have landed around the same time...

Usually, a competing project is poison for a studio. Especially in the era now where a blockbuster costs the national budget of a small country to get out into the world, you don't want to be up against a film with similar subject matter.

Yet this keeps happening, time and time again. Even now, there are two live action Jungle Book movies in various stages of production, for example. And let us not forget when K-9 and Turner And Hooch once did battle...

But how have the movie showdowns of old turned out? And are there any instances where everyone's a winner?

Er, not many as it happens...

The Haunting Vs The House On Haunted Hill

Let's start with two reasonably budgeted horror films, that both got wide releases. Jan De Bont...

In almost every set of “dueling” movies, whether they’re competing biopics or similar-premise disaster flicks out within months of each other, there’s a right one and a wrong one as far as which you’re supposed to prefer. It’s okay to enjoy Michael Bay’s Armageddon, but you should recognize Mimi Leder’s Deep Impact as the better movie. Capote over Infamous. Observe and Report over Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Top Gun over Iron Eagle. Dantes Peak over Volcano. Tombstone over Wyatt Earp. 1492: Conquest of Paradise over Christopher Columbus: The Discovery. The Prestige over The Illusionist. Mission to Mars over Red Planet. Chasing Liberty over First Daughter. Leviathan over DeepStar Six, and The Abyss over both of them. Some pairs are nearly a draw as far as neither actually being worth a preference, such as Lambada and The Forbidden Dance. Here’s a more recent one: Cheap Thrills over 13 Sins. The...

Top 10 Ryan Lambie 22 Jan 2014 - 05:51

Like any awards ceremony, the Razzies can sometimes make some bizarre decisions. Here's our pick of 10 mystifying nominations...

Established in 1981, the Golden Raspberry Awards have grown from a tiny ceremony hosted in founder John Jb Wilson's living room into their own Hollywood institution. Intended as an antidote to the self-congratulation and glitz of awards season fixtures like the Oscars or the Golden Globes, the Razzies aim to single out the worst films, screenplays and performances of the preceding year, serving up an irreverent parody of Hollywood's vanity and excess.

Sometimes, the Razzie choices aren't too far off the mark. Few would argue against Battlefield Earth's 2000 win for Worst Picture, or that the impenetrably murky The Last Airbender didn't deserve the amusingly-titled award for Worst Eye-Gouging Misuse of 3D.

There have been some really worthwhile categories on occasion, too, like Worst Movie Trends of the Year,...

Odd List Ryan Lambie 20 Nov 2013 - 06:57

The constantly busy Ridley Scott always has lots of potential films in production, so here's a look at what he might be up to next...

Since his debut in 1977 with the historical drama, The Duellists, director Ridley Scott has gradually built up an eclectic body of work. His Hollywood career began with the stunning one-two sci-fi punch of Alien and Blade Runner, before heading off into fantasy (Legend), thrillers (Someone To Watch Over Me, Black Rain) and road-trip drama (the Oscar-winning Thelma And Louise).

As James Clayton pointed out in his recent Friday column, the 70-something Sir Ridley shows no sign of slowing down, and if anything, his slate of forthcoming films is somewhat bewildering - in what seems like every other interview, the director will mention another project of one sort or another, which makes working out what he's likely to be...

One thing that really bugs me about movie sequels is when the villain is generally weaker than the baddie in the previous movie.

Surely the idea of a sequel is to make it bigger and better. Iron Man’s opponents got gradually tougher in his titular movies, Daniel Larusso’s opponents got gradually tougher in the Karate Kid movies, the Terminators got gradually more advanced in the titular movie franchise and in Avengers: Assemble, the heroes had a tougher task than in their previous movies, having both Loki and an alien army to contend with.

That’s how it should be done.

There is nothing more anti-climatic than a protagonist going up against someone who is weaker than someone they’ve already defeated. It doesn’t allow for character development and it disappoints the viewing audience.

However, it does occur.

And with that in mind, here are ten villains who...

Generally, screenwriting is reserved for a thankless group of nerds who spend most of their waking hours making "Star Wars" references and lamenting their low position on the Hollywood totem pole.

But once in a while, the ladies and gentlemen behind the scripts end up becoming household name ... or move on from other successful careers to take a stab at screenwriting. And whether it's to make a buck, help out a buddy or take on a new challenge, these scribes sometimes end up scoring some pretty unexpected gigs.

So, upon the revelation that titan of twist M. Night Shyamalan was allegedly though perhaps wasn't after all involved in writing "She's All That" (1999), a movie about how beautiful women become even more beautiful when they take off their glasses and wear their hair down, we've assembled a list of some other well-known writers whose names are attached to some surprising projects.

Jj Abrams is hosting it and Colin Farrell's up for an award – welcome to what Steven Spielberg calls the best party in La

When Jason O'Mara moved to Hollywood, an unknown actor with a Dublin brogue, it would have been useful to plug into the Irish network – except there wasn't one. "When I first got here, I wasn't aware of any Irish community that I should be part of."

Little harm it did him. A decade later O'Mara is a familiar face, thanks to network dramas such as Vegas, Justice, Life On Mars and Terra Nova. All the characters were American and the actor worked hard with a dialogue coach to erase unwanted lilts.

But this Thursday, days before the Oscars, O'Mara and hundreds of compatriots will gather to celebrate Irish success, and belated networking, at an annual pre-Oscar hoolie that Steven Spielberg has called one of the best parties in La.

Because when I think of Christopher Columbus I think of the movie 300... Good grief.

Richard Branson is about two years away from launching Virgin Galactic Airways, which is a commercial space travel company. What does this have to do with the movie? He's the guy that is getting it off the ground. He "wants to make a movie about a guy who could certainly relate to the ambition." So his Virgin Produced banner is teaming up with Relativity Media to acquire a script called Columbus written by T.S. Nowlin. 

The film is unsurprisingly about Christopher Columbus and his discovery of America, it will be filmed in the same style as Zack Snyder's 300, and McG will produce and direct the feature. 

Movies about Christopher Columbus such as Ridley Scott's 1492: Conquest of Paradise, and the John Glen directed Christopher Columbus: The Discovery both bombed at the box office.

Entrepreneur Richard Branson is in negotiations to acquire T.S. Nowlin's script "Columbus" reports Deadline.

McG is attached to produce and direct the story which deals with Christopher Columbus and his discovery of America, but will be shot in a highly stylised "300"-esque manner. The script went out last week to studios.

A pair of rival features about the famed explorer in the early 90's, Ridley Scott's "1492: Conquest of Paradise" and John Glen's "Christopher Columbus: The Discovery", both fizzled at the box-office.

Billionaire Richard Branson recently launched the Virgin Produced production company and is now in negotiations to acquire "Columbus," a script by Ts Nowlin that has McG (Terminator Salvation) attached to direct. The film is described as a "300"-style film about Christopher Columbus and his discovery of America. Hollywood has learned that people don't want to see the explorer on the big screen, but Virgin is hoping that technological advances in visual effects and 3D may get audience into theaters. Back in 1992, to commemorate the 500th anniversary, two films about Columbus were released. The film is "1492: Conquest of Paradise," directed by Ridley Scott (Gladiator) and starring Gerard Depardieu as Columbus and Sigourney Weaver as Queen Isabella. The film grossed $7 million on a $47 million budget. Around the same time, director Jon Glen (For Your Eyes Only) released "Christopher Columbus: The Discovery," featuring a cast comprised of Georges Corraface, Rachel Ward, Marlon Brando,...

Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson launched his Virgin-produced banner joint venture with Relativity Media this past summer. According to Deadline, his first target is to negotiate and acquire “Columbus,” a script by T.S. Nowlin. The movie has McG (Terminator Salvation) already as a producer and a director. Deadline said that McG would direct this movie in a “300” style film about Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America. The last movies about the famed explorer were with “1492: Conquest of Paradise” and “Christopher Columbus: The Discovery.” The pictures were in the theaters for the 500th anniversary of Columbus, but both films bombed at the box office. If the problem was no one cared about watching Christopher Columbus movies in 1992, then the audience probably would not care today. Unless Columbus is going to be depicted as an action hero—this movie will be undiscovered by the audience.Source: Deadline...

Exclusive: Richard Branson, the entrepreneur who says he is two years away from launching the commercial space travel company Virgin Galactic Airways, wants to make a movie about a guy who could certainly relate to the ambition. Branson, who  this summer launched the Virgin Produced banner as a joint venture with Relativity Media, is negotiating to acquire Columbus, a script by T.S. Nowlin that has McG attached to direct a 300-style film about Christopher Columbus and his discovery of America. The script went out last week and a deal's in the works, sources said. The pic will be produced by McG, who's currently directing the 20th Century Fox comedy This Means War with Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hardy and Chris Pine. Hollywood has stayed away from the Columbus story since a race to commemorate the 500th anniversary led to a pair of rival pics. Ridley Scott directed Gerard Depardieu as...