edited by Moisés Chiullan

The Third Man (Criterion Blu-ray)
This title in particular has been the subject of a good deal of controversy on Elsewhere (among other sites), message boards, and email lists across the web. No one seems to talk about much aside from the "Grain Issue." Since the grain (or overabundance thereof) is the obvious elephant in the room, I'm going to address it before getting on to the additional content on display here, of which there is much to see and thoroughly enjoy. (continued)

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After Dark Horrorfest 2009

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Chandni Chwok to China

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Of Time and the City

Pacino, De Niro, "Departed" sequel

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This may be an April Fool's joke, but Dark Horizons' Garth Franklin has reported (via Reuters) that Al Pacino is "being sought" to join Robert DeNiro in the Departed sequel, based on a script by the brilliant, bulky and bearded William Monaghan.

The film (I know this part isn't bullshit) has no choice but to focus on Mark Wahlberg's "Dignam" character because -- spoiler for people who live in caves! -- he's the biggest name who wasn't killed in the original.

The story revolves around big-time political corruption as the abrasive, motor-mouthed Wahlberg goes undercover to take down an oily U.S. Senator (DeNiro). The producers (Graham King, etc.) want Pacino to play Wahlberg's new boss (i.e., succeeding the dead Martin Sheen), "a force veteran who may not be as clean as he appears."

Alec Baldwin ("You're one of those healthy types, right? Go fuck yourself") is also expected to reprise his Departed role. (Why wouldn't this be true?)

The Warner Bros. project is said to be moving forward with such haste that "it could very well be Scorsese's next," Franklin passes along. April Fool!....not?

No matter what happens between De Niro and Pacino in this film (i.e., sharing the same scene, confrontationally speaking), I can't see it topping their legendary Kate Mantellini mano e mano in Michael Mann's Heat.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on April 1, 2007 at 9:34 AM

comment #1

Josh Massey says ...

Check the calendar, Jeff.

Posted by Josh Massey at April 1, 2007 10:36 AM

comment #2

vansmith says ...

josh i was excited and then i to checked the calendar.. we can hope..

Posted by vansmith at April 1, 2007 10:44 AM

comment #3

erniesouchak says ...

Great, Pacino can pick up the scenery-chewing where Nicholson left off. It would be nice if De Niro didn't sleepwalk thru this one. Honestly, has anyone who was as interesting when he was young become so boring in his later years? I actually can't think of a sequel that interests me LESS than this one.

Posted by erniesouchak at April 1, 2007 10:54 AM

comment #4

Karsten says ...

1st of April is a horrible day for film news, because some of the jokes are inventing projects that we actually WANT to come true.... so we believe...

Posted by Karsten at April 1, 2007 11:07 AM

comment #5

The Winchester says ...

Jeff, check the source from Dark Horizons, then check the calender

Posted by The Winchester at April 1, 2007 11:07 AM

comment #6

Josh Massey says ...

How much film news comes out on Sunday, anyway? But clicking on the story's "Reuters" link should clear everything right up.

I love how Jeff has added "This may be an April Fool's joke..." since my first post.

Posted by Josh Massey at April 1, 2007 1:07 PM

comment #7

Dublin101 says ...

Well, Walberg did kick ass in the Departed. Give him and Baldwin a spin off buddy-cop franchise. It could be the ultimate Irish-American cop movie, you could toss Denis Leary in there too.

Posted by Dublin101 at April 1, 2007 1:20 PM

comment #8

The Winchester says ...

Yeah, I enjoy the "this may be..." that was added as well.

Not for nothing, but that Leary, Wahlberg and Baldwin movie would kick an obscene amount of ass. If Scorsese's not available, get Michael Corrente. Movie would kick obscene amounts of ass.

Posted by The Winchester at April 1, 2007 1:33 PM

comment #9

NYCritic says ...

Clearly an April Fool's joke -- but the sad part is they did announce plans to make Departed sequels. The trouble with that idea is that Monahan pilfered stories from Infernal Affairs 2 and 3 to flesh out The Departed, so he'd have to concoct an original story. I guess he could do the backstory of the rise of Nicholson's character (maybe with Christian Slater doing his Nicholson impersonation shtick) but I don't see the point. Watched IA 1-3 again and then watched The Departed again and Departed really is an inferior product. Doesn't hold up as well to multiple viewings.

Posted by NYCritic at April 1, 2007 2:16 PM

comment #10

Josh Massey says ...

"This may be an April Fool's joke" ... "I know this part isn't bullshit" ... "(Why wouldn't this be true?)" ... "April Fool!....not?" ...

All added since my original comment. Jesus, just admit Garth got you. No harm in that.

Posted by Josh Massey at April 1, 2007 2:34 PM

comment #11

jeffmcm says ...

I disagree, The Departed is better than Infernal Affairs in just about every way.

Posted by jeffmcm at April 1, 2007 2:42 PM

comment #12

D.Z. says ...

jeff: The Departed=Infernal Affairs with more profanity and gratuitous violence and no foreshadowing or surprise endings.

Posted by D.Z. at April 1, 2007 2:44 PM

comment #13

Josh Massey says ...

Having not seen Infernal Affairs before The Departed, I can say Scorsese's film had the biggest surprise ending of the year for me.

Posted by Josh Massey at April 1, 2007 2:55 PM

comment #14

Breedlove says ...

Funny you should mention Dennis Leary because he was the first choice to play Wahlberg's role. He had to bail due to conflicts with shooting 'Rescue Me.'

Posted by Breedlove at April 1, 2007 2:59 PM

comment #15

jeffmcm says ...

DZ: The Departed = Infernal Affairs with the same amount of foreshadowing, an additional surprise ending, greater thematic depth, stronger visual control, and better performances (vastly better as far as the actresses are concerned). You only think there's 'no foreshadowing or surprise endings' because you had already seen I.A. and more profanity and gratuitous violence are not necessarily bad things.

Posted by jeffmcm at April 1, 2007 3:07 PM

comment #16

D.Z. says ...

jeff: "Infernal Affairs with the same amount of foreshadowing,"

Not really, since you pretty much know who's gonna die by the end of the film.

"greater thematic depth,"

Yeah, like drugs are bad and sharks vs jets, blah blah...

"stronger visual control,"

If slow tracking can be considered stronger visual control, then sure.

"and better performances (vastly better as far as the actresses are concerned)."

Yeah, chicks who are co-dependent enablers are so much more deep than women who live their own lives separate from guys.

"and more profanity and gratuitous violence are not necessarily bad things."

They are when they take away from the story.

Posted by D.Z. at April 1, 2007 3:55 PM

comment #17

Ford_Fletcher says ...

If this isn't an April Fool's joke (and that's an extreme IF), it's interesting to note how it sounds like DeNiro and Pacino have swapped their usual roles for this one.

I know DeNiro played the bad guy and Pacino the cop in Heat. But an oily/smooth U.S. senator and a mysterious mentor cop sound pure Pacino and DeNiro, respectively.

Posted by Ford_Fletcher at April 1, 2007 5:04 PM

comment #18

jeffmcm says ...

1. You only know who's going to die because you already saw Infernal Affairs.

2. The Departed is a richer movie. It has more to say about personal ethics, self-deception, political extrapolations, etc. I could go on. Infernal Affairs is fine in this regard but it's a notch or two down on the complexity scale.

3. Mockery is easy. As is usual with Scorsese, the film is marked by excellent cinematography and Scorsese's typically strong blocking and compositions. Again, you have to be willfully blind to think that IA is superior here.

4. You're confusing performances with written characterization, for one thing. The women in IA are both cardboard girlfriend characters who have virtually nothing to do in the movie. Monahan's script creates a composite character who is more integral to the plot and themes of the movie. Plus Vera Farmiga gives a vastly better performance than either of the two mediocre Hong Kong actresses. And yes, conflicted and human characters are more interesting and deep than woman who are just in the movie so the characters can have girlfriends.

5. Whatever.

Posted by jeffmcm at April 1, 2007 5:05 PM

comment #19

D.Z. says ...

jeff: "and more profanity and gratuitous violence are not necessarily bad things."

I know who's gonna die in The Departed, because the cops and gangsters fuck up way too easily. In IA, it's due to arrogance on the side of the cops and frequent back-stabbing on the part of the triads.

"The Departed is a richer movie. It has more to say about personal ethics, self-deception, political extrapolations, etc."

That's great, but I just want a thriller, not a
character study.

"As is usual with Scorsese, the film is marked by excellent cinematography"

I guess grainy digital shots count as excellent cinematography nowadays.

"The women in IA are both cardboard girlfriend characters who have virtually nothing to do in the movie."

They provide direction for the male leads. The women in The Departed are just doormats.

Posted by D.Z. at April 1, 2007 6:29 PM

comment #20

Regret1017 says ...

I don't know if I can take that irritating Dignam character for a whole movie... I'm going to drop this one from my list. Not to mention I think Wahlberg is a right a**hole... whatever.

Posted by Regret1017 at April 1, 2007 7:21 PM

comment #21

alynch says ...

Oh Jeff, why you got to edit your entry after posting it in order to make yourself seem less gullible??? Don't be vain.

Posted by alynch at April 1, 2007 7:38 PM

comment #22

jeffmcm says ...

"I guess grainy digital shots count as excellent cinematography nowadays."

I have no idea what you are talking about. Departed was entirely shot on film and a friend of mine who is an award-winning cinematographer thought the work in that film was among the top two or three best-shot films of last year.

"They provide direction for the male leads. The women in The Departed are just doormats."

Again, I don't know what 'provide direction' means. You could remove both female characters from IA and not lose anything substantial. Farmiga's performance is on par with the rest of the actors in the film, which is high praise, and who gives a shit if her character is a doormat - she's an honest doormat in a movie full of users and co-dependent unhealthy types.

"I just want a thriller, not a character study."

Then we're talking about two different things. Stop wasting my time with your arrogant posturing.

Posted by jeffmcm at April 1, 2007 8:20 PM

comment #23

Tim says ...

Massey: Boy, you're right. Ol' Gruver1 should just go ahead and bow before you because you were able to recognize what friggin' day it was on a calendar. We all should realize we are dealing with a class-A Genius and begin tithing our paychecks to the great Josh Massey while taking to the streets Ashoura style.

Posted by Tim at April 2, 2007 8:48 AM

comment #24