Filed under: Horror, Deals, Universal, RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy

Multiple sources are reporting today that Universal has invited John Landis into the office for a couple of meetings about potentially directing The Wolf Man, probably at the behest of the film's creature effects maestro Rick Baker, who Landis worked with on the seminal modern werewolf picture, An American Werewolf in London, many full moons ago. There are reports that the studio was taken aback by the hissy fit that the usually compliant Harry Knowles went into over the studio's almost-sealed deal with Brett Ratner to take over the project that Mark Romanek has inconveniently exited, and so now they're keeping their options open by meeting with a whole host of potential candidates. I don't really buy that -- there's no way the Universal brass actually takes fanboy reaction that seriously, but nevertheless, here we are, and I'm left with one question: John Landis -- really?

Landis has been persona non grata in Hollywood for a long, long time -- being negligent enough to allow Jennifer Jason Leigh's dad to be decapitated on your movie set is a great way to have your phone calls go unreturned -- but he did get at least a couple of comeback opportunities in the 90s, most notably the chance to helm a third Beverly Hills Cop film, and he bungled that opportunity fabulously. BHCIII is one of the worst big-budget action-comedy films I've ever seen in my life, so lifeless and listless and such a franchise-killer that even Jerry Bruckheimer will tell you, if you ask, that he wouldn't be involved in a fourth one if they begged him. Landis's 1992 vampire film, Innocent Blood, was also a hokey disappointment. Still, some swear by the man who brought us Trading Places, Three Amigos and American Werewolf, and would be giddy at the thought of his return to the brass ring. Are you one of those people?

I've been watching TMC's annual 31 Days of Oscar all weekend, and now I'm at "Brigadoon" (1954). It's like a CBS show about two modern American bachelors who wind up in a Scottish town stuck in the 18th century. Gene Kelly has a high time chasing Cyd Charisse. Van Johnson runs from her sister (Virginia Bosler). Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn would probably be in the remake (actually, "Wedding Crashers" pretty much is that remake).

Anyway, this a Vincente Minnelli picture, so naturally it belongs in a museum, despite the Lerner and Lowe plot, which for 1954 actually flirts with subversion (Lowe just wrote the music, actually). Anyway, the dialogue isn't bad, either: "When I look at'cha, I feel wee tadpoles jumping in me spine!," says Bosler, in one of the sillier examples. The musical numbers are absurdly fantastic -- obviously. Minnelli framed shots for the massive movie canvas. This movie's enchantment would be seriously diminished on an iThing, especially the hunt for Harry Beaton. It's all long and medium-long shots. Depth and scope are the real stars. Every scene with Kelly, Charisse, and her terrible accent floating across the village's hills and fields is like watching two people run around a painting. When I die, I want to go to the MGM sound stage in the sky.