Harrison is present in Vienna tonight at the finals of the Euro 2008 Soccer European Championship. Among the other guests of honor: King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain, opera singer Placido Domingo, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and ex Formula One champion Michael Schumacher.
Why Harrison is there?? We suspect he may be on the Spanish invitation list. If we remember right, he got a club jersey from Atletico Madrid with his name on it and a commemorative pin, both presented to him during a visit to Madrid in 2003 when he was promoting Hollywood Homicide. (The presentation was part of a sponsorship deal between distributor Columbia TriStar and Atletico.) He might suffer from a bit of split loyalty tonight, though -- as far as we know he's got German relations on his mother's side.
Angela Lee in Milwaukee has designed this great online birthday card for Harrison. Why not click the image above to go to the relevant page and add your greeting (it's easy!!) in good time before the actual day (=July 13)???
Big thanks to Angela for the great initiative!!!
Posted by Grethe on Jun. 28, 2008 at 12:39 PM
June 27, 2008
WEEKEND BLAST FROM THE PAST -- AND THE FUTURE
Anybody remember this little movie?? Let's go back to 1980 and to when this franchise was fun:
And here's a bit of vintage promo work on the Today Show -- done by Messrs. Hamill and Ford:
Part 1:
Part 2:
Finally: the latest installment of the Star Wars franchise: the latest trailer for the upcoming CG animated TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars (a.k.a Star Wars 2 1/2) coming to your TV screen on August 15 this year:
We recommend a look over at starwars.com for more videos re: the new series.
Big thanks to Lorrie for the vintage interview find!!!
IESB.net got an interview with producer Frank Marshall on the red carpet of the 34th Saturn Awards on Wednesday. Marshall had a few comments on Bourne 4 and the future of Indiana Jones.
On Jason Bourne: Bourne will be heading South America way, he's still played by Matt Damon, shooting of the hitherto unnamed movie is planned for next summer and the release of the movie is set to 2010.
On Indiana Jones: Will there be an Indy 5? Questionable, considering the time it took to get the last script written. A movie about Indy jr, perhaps? Quote Frank Marshall: "We didn't let him take the hat. Still Indiana Jones is Harrison Ford".
OFFICIAL CROSSING OVER PAGE UP, STILL NO TRAILER
...plus pictures and a bit of hearsay
Click image above and 'Film Index' on next screen to go to the Crossing Over home pages
The Weinstein Co has had the official Crossing Over pages up for a while but nothing much has happened there since launch. There's still no trailer and the written info is sadly of the usual content free kind.
Only a few photos have been leaked to the press so far: you can see them in HFW Gallery 1.
Jeffrey Wells over at Hollywood Elsewhere has written a speculation about a possible awards marketing strategy for the movie. A commenter to his piece also has some interesting info: rumors from an alleged insider about artistic differences of opinion between director Wayne Kramer and Harvey Weinstein:
"I have a friend close to the Crossing Over production and he says Kramer has been battling Darth Weinstein for months over the cut. The film has always tested well above average, but Harvey keeps cutting away at it and removing any kind of disturbing content, mostly in the sex scenes between Ray Liotta and Alice Eve. Liotta is an immigration agent and he's blackmailing Alice Eve who is an actress from Australia into having sex with him for a green card. Harvey objected to the explicit tone of the scenes - and apparently the preview audiences singled them out as well - so Harvey has cut most of it out of the film. Kramer's position was that the scenes were supposed to make people feel uncomfortable because it's a sleazy situation, but things take a different turn later in the film and we need the earlier tough content to set it up. Kramer's also pissed off that Harvey restructured his film and took his bookend device with Sean Penn and stuck it in the body of the film, which he doesn't think makes any sense. I know he recently tested his preview version against Harvey's and Harvey won by quite a few points. The big reason was, again, the sex scenes. Now, I have seen only Kramer's version from a few months ago and I don't think the sex scenes are any big deal. They certainly serve the film - to lose them would definitely hurt the story. They're not even close to being as raunchy as The Cooler. I also think the opening with Sean Penn works great - it's an exciting opening and when all is revealed at the end, then it makes a lot of sense. I don't know how putting Penn later in the film wiill effect it. Doesn't seem the right way to go because of all the different storylines. Harrison Ford is excellent in the film and the actor who really shines is Cliff Curtis who plays his partner. Jim Sturgess has some great scenes as well, especially his immigration interview, which will go down as one of the classic scenes of 2008."
Big thanks to HFW member mrsskywalker for the tip about the Hollywood Elsewhere article!!
MEET CRYSTAL SKULL NOVELIST ...in Gurnee, Illiinois on July 16
Source: Scan of info sheet (Thanks to John Tenuto!)
Posted by Grethe on Jun. 21, 2008 at 06:58 AM
June 18, 2008
VANITY FAIR: INDIANA JONES AND THE NEXT INDY MOVIE
Vanity Fair has decided on a winner re: their contest to come up with the best title and plot for a fifth Indy movie. The winner is an Australian calling himself Maximillian. We suggest you go to the VF Daily blog to read his entry.
VF has also taken the trouble to do a basic plot trend analysis. What plot themes were suggested and how many suggested them? Here are the results:
We'd love to hear your opinion of the above and/or your suggestions for a hypothetical Indy V. Drop
an e-mail and we'll do a followup on the wishes, thoughts and ideas of the visitors to this site.
Special Effects guru (puppets, make-up, prosthetics) and multiple Oscar and Emmy nominee / winner Stan Winston passed away on Monday June 15. He was 62 years old and suffered from cancer for the last seven years of his life.
The picture top should give a few clues to how important this man was. He was responsible for the design of the creatures above -- instantly recognizeable all over the world -- plus quite a few more: he also did work on e.g The Star Wars Christmas Special, Roots, Friday the 13th III, Starman, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Interview with the Vampire, Ghosts, A.I., War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. As if that wasn't enough: he also contributed to music videos (for Michael Jackson, Billy Idol, Guns'N'Roses, Styx) and a number of commercials.
The man's work lives on even if he's gone but may we suggest you check up his impressive CV: See his works again -- and tick off the following upcoming movies on the calendar. They all feature work from his hand and/or studio: G.I. Joe, Terminator 4, Shutter Island and Avatar, all due in 2009.
HFW's tribute to Mr. Winston is this clip from one of our all time SF/Horror favorites: the 1982 remake of The Thing directed by John Carpenter:
The Union-Tribune says Harrison's appearance stems from his involvement with biodiversity conservation but we take the liberty to presume that the worthy cause is not the only reason: He's also got more than a random chance to meet some of the real life principals re: his next project (Crowley) - and get important contacts re: necessary preparation for his part as a maverick biotech research scientist. Harrison also serves as exec producer of the movie.
The 2008 Bio Convention will be the place to find the big global biotech and pharmaceutical giants next week and among the participants and sponsors of the event are Genzyme and Cytovance. Genzyme is the manufacturer of the first medication for treatment of Pompe disease. The head of Genzyme Glycobiology Research Institute and also the president of Cytovance is Dr. William Canfield - the real life person we assume Harrison will be portraying in Crowley. John F. Crowley -- the father of the two children with Pompe -- is one of the founders of Cytovance.
Invitrogen (also a sponsor of the 2008 Bio Int'l Convention) is one of the foremost providers of life sciences technologies in the world and the opportunity is indeed there to arrange for proper life scientist character study while maintaining the proper distance to the persons and companies portrayed in the upcoming movie. Invitrogen is situated in Carlsbad, CA, roughly midway between Los Angeles and San Diego. See also our news item of June 9 re: the Crowley project.
Big thanks to Mary Marshall for the tip re: the Union-Tribune notice!!
Posted by Grethe on Jun. 14, 2008 at 01:52 AM
June 13, 2008
INDIANA JONES AND THE DARABONT SCRIPT
It's been all over the Internet for the past few days: the assumed genuine Frank Darabont script for Indiana Jones IV -- and the verdict is unanimous: this one would have made a better fourth Indiana Jones movie than the script that ended up as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
For the record: we basically agree with the reviewers above. Genuine or not, this script is better in many ways: the story is far more poignant and congruent and the characters are better evolved and tied in -- especially Marion Ravenwood but also Indy himself. We also found the side character gallery more interesting and to the point - villains and shady characters included. Best twist: there's no Mutt Williams (no sour grapes to Shia LaBeouf: he did very well with the material he was handed). Nevertheless: we feel this script would have needed some tightening up, especially on a couple of the action sequences. Like the movie, we'd also have loved Indy to be using his wits and cool sense of improvised practical solutions a bit more.
P.S. Surprisingly many of the most criticized scenes in Crystal Skull are in this script -- and we feel the same way about them that we did re: the ditto scenes in Crystal Skull: one waterfall is quite enough, thank you (this script has four of them!!). The bungee tree still doesn't tickle our fancy. To make things a bit worse: Indy is (part time --) snake food in this script. The idea is logically grounded (well, sort of) ....but really a goofy bite too much for our taste. The Temple climax scenes are far superior, though -- and unlike the movie they make sense.
We suspect the critical voices may be met with a shrug and a little reminder of the very nice Crystal Skull box office. So be it. We can only retort we think present and future B.O would have been at least as glorious had things been different -- notwithstanding the issue of an heir apparent in the franchise.
Posted by Grethe on Jun. 13, 2008 at 01:44 PM
June 11, 2008
WORLD BANK TIGER PRESERVATION CAMPAIGN Harrison, Bo Derek, Robert Duvall support
Citing tiger population counts that have dwindled to a few thousand, several Hollywood stars have come out in support of a preservation campaign announced on Monday June 9 by the World Bank. Amongst them: Harrison Ford, Bo Derek and Robert Duvall.
The head of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick, said at a news conference at the National Zoo in Washington D.C that the conservation initiative will find out "how to work with the local communities, so we can preserve some of the areas in which the tigers live."
The World Bank will initially explore local and regional programs that have worked against poaching of endangered tigers and will next determine how much financing it would take to help replicate the programs elsewhere. Regional programs against tiger poaching are linked with rising populations tallied in the Russian Far East, according to a report from the World Bank.
Mr. Zoellick emphasized his group is "not the key player" but only serves as a catalyst for countries in the region to coordinate efforts to save tigers at risk in their areas. The World Bank's initiative will focus 13 countries where tiger poaching threatens remaining populations in the wild: Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, China, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Indonesia, India, Russia and Vietnam.
In most cases, tigers aren't shot to protect human lives, they are hunted for profit and their dead bodies are being used for anything from trophy mounts to traditional Chinese medicine.
Professor John Tenuto at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois will be teaching a special class in the Fall 2008 semester: Introduction to Sociology: The Sociology of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg's Films -- and HFW is one of the reference websites for the class. As per arrangement with Professor Tenuto, we will also be be answering questions from the students about Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and the movies mentioned in the course description below. Here goes:
"The class (SOC 121-015) will be offered on Thursdays from 12:30 to 3:15 p.m. and will introduce students to the science of sociology utilizing examples from the real world of society, and the reel worlds of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg's films. Sociological theories and research, and their application to culture, socialization, religion, technology, inequality and media are the themes of the class.
Films such as THX-1138, American Graffiti, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Schindler's List, Amistad and E.T. will be used as examples of the themes, and the fans of Star Wars and Indiana Jones will be discussed. The class will have an entire section of lectures devoted to the sociological meanings of John Williams' music. Students will present a paper about the sociological themes of the films and music, and what those films illuminate about the 1970s to 2000s zeitgeist."
To give you a visual idea: here's professor Tenuto teaching That 70s Class: The Sociology of 1970s Popular Culture last semester (January - May 2008).
Don't hesitate to contact The College of Lake County for more information on the college, the new sociology class or other classes offered by the institution. Go to this page to enter your question(s) or give them a call at (847) 543-2000.
Posted by Grethe on Jun. 09, 2008 at 02:43 PM
NEW PROJECT FOR HARRISON: CROWLEY Will also serve as exec producer
John Crowley
Dr. William Canfield
Harrison Ford
Dr. Yuan-Tsong Chen
According to Variety yesterday, Harrison Ford has agreed to star in Crowley for CBS Films. The movie is based on the real life story of John F. and Aileen Crowley, whose two children have a rare genetic disorder (glycogen storage disease type II or Pompe disease), leading to severe muscle weakness. The disorder is lethal in infants and young children unless treated.
Harvard Business School graduate John Crowley refused to give up hope, raised USD 100 million and found a researcher with a potential cure. The movie is based on Pulitzer Prize winner Geeta Anand's Wall Street Journal article and subsequent book The Cure. Variety reports that Harrison will play the maverick researcher, he will also executive produce the film. Scottish director Tom Vaughan (Truel, Starter for 10, What Happens in Vegas ) is in negotiations to direct.
We've been looking a bit into this and it seems most likely to us that Harrison will play Dr. William Canfield, the founder of Novazyme Pharmaceuticals Inc in 1998, then a small (four persons) company. Dr. Canfield had been awarded a research grant for his work on finding a drug to help slow down or at best cure Pompe. When John Crowley and his wife discovered that their kids had the lethal disorder, Crowley quit his executive job at Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and took over as chief executive of Novazyme. At the time (in 2000), Novazyme had USD 37,000 left in the bank - barely enough to cover the payroll -- consequently Crowley and William Canfield went on a quest to raise money, turning to Neose, the company that had awarded Canfield his research grant. Neose was eventually convinced, contributed USD 27 million and Novazyme developed an experimental drug.
Crowley and Canfield later sold Novazyme to biotech giant Genzyme, a Cambridge, Mass.-company with resources to conduct more testing and research. Novazyme became a research and development facility for Genzyme and kept Canfield as president of the Genzyme Glycobiology Research Institute. John Crowley became the director of Genzyme's Pompe disease program. But -- but there were concerns: some people initially had questions about whether he could be objective about work that could affect his children's lives. When clinical testing started. Crowley's children didn't qualify. Genzyme arranged a separate small sibling trial for them, but a Philadelphia hospital rejected it because officials were concerned about the fairness of treating the children of the company's executive only. When the company applied for a trial at St. Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick months later, Crowley quit Genzyme to make sure his children could be treated without any questions - and they were.
John Crowley continued his work to raise money and he is now president and CEO of Amicus Therapeutics, a company working on Pompe and related diseases. Amicus has raised USD 150 million in venture capital, and hopes to have another Pompe drug in clinical trials around 2008.
Dr. William Canfield has also continued being a highly succesful entrepeneur. Siwa Biotech was founded in late 2005. Canfield is also president of Cytovance, a biopharmaceutical company acquired in 2006 with funding from the Presbyterian Health Foundation and Oklahoma investors. Former Novazyme executives John Crowley and William Fallon founded Cytovance and Fallon was retained as president.
The first drug for treatment of Pompe was approved by the FDA in 2006 and is called Myozyme The manufacturer is Genzyme. According to Wikipedia it was primarily developed by Dr. Yuan-Tsong Chen. then on staff at Duke University. Dr. Chen is currently the director of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan and one of his ongoing research projects concerns enzyme and gene therapy and targeting mechanisms of Pompe disease.
COOL E-CARDS ....and other Harrison related items from Hallmark
Click to go directly to site
Hallmark has got some new and pretty nifty Harrison related items in their h-u-g-e catalog: E-Cards with sound. Three of them features Indiana Jones (two for birthdays, one for Father's Day), one features Star Wars / Han & Leia for wedding anniversaries.
Hallmark will also feature many other Harrison related items this year -- from party supplies to Christmas decorations.
Head over to Hallmark and check out those e-Cards - they are cool!!
PS. The cards shown above go at USD 1.99 each -- but there are also free e-cards on Hallmark's site.
Source: Hallmark (Big thanks and greets to John, Mary Jo, and Nicky Tenuto!!)
Posted by Grethe on Jun. 07, 2008 at 01:25 PM
INDIANA JONES AND THE CHANGING OCEANS Eco fundraiser to benefit international organization devoted to protecting the seas from global warming, pollution and overfishing.
Click to go to site
Harrison Ford will play a starring role at what is expected to be one of the largest fundraising events for an environmental cause in Orange County history. Not only will he participate in the event, he will also be honored for his role as an advocate for environmental issues.
The July 18 Sea Change Summer Party in Laguna Beach aims to raise at least USD 500,000 to benefit Oceana, an international organization devoted to protecting the seas from global warming, pollution and over-fishing.
"For everybody in this county who enjoys a view of the ocean, we're seeing right under our nose the incredible loss of wealth and vitality," said Julie Hill, co-organizer of the Sea Change Party and a board member of three publicly traded companies. "The way we're going, eventually, all the oceans are going to be dead."
Attendance is limited to 400. Tickets start at USD 500: For tickets and information, call (01) 949-718-0808 or click image above.
A new social networking site has seen the light of day: Poll the People. The aim of this site is to encourage people to share their favorite albums, films and books through top five lists. Users can create a profile and put forward their top five. The Polls can be searched by genre and linked to the affiliate partner of the site, Amazon. People with similar or the same lists will be able to make friends with like-minded people through the site’s ‘List Like Mine’ section.
Poll The People is the brainchild of Glenn Cooper, Head of Digital at Island Records with over 7 years online experience and 12 years in the Music Industry. He has partnered with his wife, Kirsty Cooper, who has worked in Music Marketing and PR for over 10 years. Kirsty wrote the following in an email:
"The site was borne out of frustration at the number of TV and press polls based on very little research or the opinions of a few journalists. So now I want to give the people a chance to have their say and vote for their favourite films (albums and books) to create a truly definitive global poll.
We have had over 4,000 people sign up and vote in the first month and we are already working on a TV show format and a Poll The People Top Rated retail sticker initiative. In addition we have had features in The Times and The Guardian as well as trade press so we have had a great start. It’s important to us that we reach out to fans of all great artists/actors/bands so the poll becomes truly definitive."
I had a look over at the site to check out the status of Harrison and his movies -- and got a bit of the blues. The present status is hardly representative of the real appeal and standing of the man and his work. The usual ones are there: Star Wars Ep. IV and Blade Runner -- but to my horror movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Fugitive, The Mosquito Coast etc. haven't got the rank they truly deserve.
We like one of the the stated goals of the site: to create a truly definitive global poll. So why not head over to Poll the People, register -- and do something about the Harrison state of affairs??
Here are the three Public Service Announcements from the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT) -- produced by The US Department of State, WildAid and featuring Harrison Ford (note: all three play in sequence, one after the other):
US STATE DEPT, HARRISON TEAM UP TO FIGHT ANIMAL TRAFFICKING
Harrison has joined forces with the US Department of State and non-profit group WildAid to produce three new Public Service Announcements (PSAs) aimed at stopping wildlife trafficking.
The PSAs will debut tomorrow June 5 (Environment Day) in the Dag Hammarskiöld Library Auditorium (UN building, New York City) from 1:30 - 2:30 EST. The event will include participation by Special Envoy of the Secretary of State for Wildlife Trafficking Issues Bo Derek and Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Environment and Science Claudia A. McMurray.
Senior representatives of partners in the U.S- led Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking, which includes the governments of Australia, Canada, Chile, India and the United Kingdom, and 13 international conservation non-governmental organizations, will also participate in the event.
the announcements will televised by more than 30 US embassies around the world from June 5. The PSAs will also be broadcast by television and cable stations.
The State Department estimates an annual black market in wildlife trafficking of about USD 10 billion - a year.
INDIANA JONES PROMO IN JAPAN
...open on Indy V but not yet decided on details
Click above to go to HFW Gallery 1
Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, George Lucas, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall have gone to Japan to promote Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. We have pictures from today's press conference in Tokyo (click thumbnail left), where Harrison and George Lucas just couldn't resist a little impromptu prank.
Crystal Skull opens in Tokyo on June 14 and in the rest of Japan on June 21.
(Note: We assume that the June 6 date as seen in the the background [thumb, left] refers to the release of the Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures game for PC and major consoles.
Harrison said at the press conference that the Indiana Jones adventure series was 'shamelessly' made for the audience: "There is no series of films that I have done that have the same spirit and are so, if you will, shamelessly made for the audience -- not to pander to them, but to give them an exciting ride."
George Lucas said the entire cast was excited when Ford put the Indy costume back on for the latest film. "It seems to happen on every movie, every Indiana Jones movie we do. There is this magic moment when Harrison appears on the set in his outfit and puts his hat on. That just transports everyone into a magic place. I don't know why. Even in 'Star Wars' we don't have an iconic figure who does the same."
A new expression is spreading like wildfire: Nuke the fridge. The reference is of course Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull -- and the colloquialism is not a compliment.
According to Urban Dictionary, the expression has the following meaning:
Nuke the fridge is a colloquialism used to refer to the moment in a film series that is so incredible that it lessens the excitement of subsequent scenes that rely on more understated action or suspense, and it becomes apparent that a certain installment is not as good as a previous installments, due to ridiculous or low quality storylines, events or characters.
The term comes from the film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, in which, near the start of the movie, Harrison Ford's character survives a nuclear detonation by climbing into a kitchen fridge, which is then blown hundreds of feet through the sky whilst the town disintegrates. He then emerges from the fridge with no apparent injury. Later in the movie, the audience is expected to fear for his safety in a normal fistfight.
Fans of the Indiana Jones series found the absurdity of this event in the film to be the best example of the lower quality of this installment in the series, and thus coined the phrase, "nuke the fridge".
The expression "jump the shark", has a similar meaning, but it refers to a series or movies produced for TV (Origin: one of the episodes Happy Days where the Fonz does just that -- while water skiing)
The unfortunate expression has also spread to YouTube, where a poster leaves little doubt re: definition and opinion:
We have been thinking a bit -- and something else strikes us as more important than predictable fanboy/fangirl irony:
Had we been from Hiroshima or Nagasaki we might not have laughed.
Here's the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull box office as of June 1. Domestically the movie lost out on the second weekend to Sex and the City but it still displays very healthy B.O. It can also draw on hitherto untapped 'reserves': The movie opens in India this weekend and Japan is "go" in another three weeks.
B.O as of June 1, 2008
US Domestic
USD 216.9 million
International
USD 188.4 million
Total
USD 405.3 million
UPDATE
Correction/update: the table top shows international cume as of last Wednesday. Getting the great international weekend result in actually puts Crystal Skull in the vincinity of USD 500 million:
Harrison got a new award: He was honored with Spike TV's Brass Balls (!!) at the 2nd Annual Guys Choice Awards on Friday May 30.
He was also involved in two other award categories: Viral Video (winner: 'F--ing Ben Affleck', Harrison is seen in a cameo) and he was nominated for the Guy of the Year Award (winner: Matt Damon).
Click image left to see a few pictures in HFW Gallery 1.
PS. Guys Choice Awards will be broadcast on Spike TV on June 22 at 10PM EST
Big grats to our winners!!! Note: The May 2008 Contest was the last in the series. Head over to the contest page to get an overview of previous questions & answers, winners and prizes.
Thanks to everybody and very special thanks to Maria Halinan Adams and Mary Marshall, who donated all the prizes! There would have been no contest without them.
Posted by Grethe on Jun. 01, 2008 at 04:15 AM
May 30, 2008
WEEKEND GUFFAW: HILARIOUS INDIANA JONES IV PARODY
The distinguished French absurd comedy society Le Comité de la Claque (founded 1895, chartered by Boris Vian in 1958) has just done one of the most hilarious Indiana Jones parodies we can ever remember having seen: Indiana Jones and the Prostate of Doom. Behold below:
Big thanks & greets to society spokesman Vladimir Radionov - and head over to Le Comité de la Claque for more hilarious parodies!! PS. Our favorite on the site: their choice of The 2007 Blabface of the Year [Blabface=Tête à Claque] LOL!!!!
Illustration by Grethe Boe / www.harrisonfordweb.com
It's been on the grapevine for a while: Given a box office success for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, would Harrison Ford consider a return to the role as Jack Ryan?
The answer is 'yes'. According to KHSL TV on May 27, Ford says:
"The Ryan films, the Tom Clancy films were, I thought, worth re-exploring again, but I wasn't a huge fan of the book on which the last one was based. I think they made a cracking good shot at it and I think Ben Affleck is very, very talented."
"That's a character that I think you could revisit acknowledging the passage of time and his increasing age. It wasn't age dependent; that character and his experiences were chockablock full of recipes for good engaging movies, so that's a character I wouldn't mind revisiting."
A well placed souce has told Cinema Blend that the idea of getting Harrison back as Ryan has indeed been on the agenda -- but there is opposition to the idea. The source is quoted as saying:
"Mace Neufeld, who produces the series, is the one gunning for Harrison to return to the role but Paramount aren't interested - they still think a younger face is the way to go. Mace pesters them every few months about giving the role back to Ford - Lorenzo [di Bonaventura, Paramount based producer] is also open to the idea - but the studio don't want it."
We predict a possible change of attitude considering Crystal Skull 's footprint and Ford's explicit interest -- and no, there has been no eruption that we know of from Tom Clancy -- yet. All that remain is working out the riddle of Sam Raimi (presently negotiating with Paramount on the Ryan franchise) vs. Philip Noyce as director, a clear reply to the question 'Is the thriller By Any Means Necessary [in pre-production, prod. Lorenzo di Bonaventura] a Ryan project after all?' -- and a good workable script. In our opinion the latter is the biggest obstacle.
Big thanks to HFW member Shauni for the KHSL TV tip!!
HARRISON FORD: WORLD CLASS HERO, WORLD CLASS COMIC ACTOR
By James Clarke
"On balance, I suppose I'm not well known for comedies, but I enjoy doing comedies... I think (comedy's) a question of creating a character that has both the limitations and the qualities that cause him to be more comic than that character might otherwise be in the same story told without comic intention. And then you do, of course, a certain amount of shtick to help make it clear that's what the intention is. I don't know that I can pronounce all the comedy rules, but I think I know it when I see it."
Harrison Ford, 1998, promoting Six Days, Seven Nights
Harrison Ford and comedy fit as well as Harrison Ford fits a dusty fedora.
It might just be that Ford's great comic timing and expressive acting get overlooked amidst the run of action movies and thrillers that have come to dominate the way his work is recalled. Mr Ford's fourth Indy movie reminds us of how good a comic actor he is. To my mind Ford seems to have delighted in the comic possibilities in this fourth Indy installment.
With Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, I think Mr Ford gives one of his fullest performances of the last few years. To my mind, the fullness (reality maybe ? ) and energy of his fourth Indy incarnation was evident in that teaser trailer back in the winter of this year.
Certainly, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull contains its share of 'silly physics' action (no sillier and playful than inflatables used to slalom down a mountain or a tug of war with Short Round in a rattling mine car) that put it on a par with Temple of Doom. The movie divides between what I think of as playful action and the action that is underpinned more by mystery, menace and a real sense of jeopardy: clearly, the wonderful Area 51 sequence that opens Crystal Skull is the best evidence for this.
As Crystal Skull began and Mr Ford made his appearance I was struck by just how much he made me think of John Wayne in the later part of his career from the mid 1950s onwards. Ford and Wayne have been mentioned in the same breath before but this time I really thought it was a valid association.
When I was a kid seeing the Indy movies for the first time when they were released in their original theatrical run I understandably picked up most eagerly on the action and physical courage of Indy and the great peril he found himself scrabbling to escape from. As I sit here now, and certainly a fair way older than twelve, I actually find that the Indy quartet of films work even better (and linger in my imagination) as comedies and as romantic comedies also. Indeed, Mr Ford often referred to the Indy movies in this way and George Lucas recently acknowledged the 'wacky' quality inherent in the Raiders / Indy concept.
As I watched Crystal Skull for the first time (spending the first half hour getting over the pleasant shock of watching a new Indy movie; I hope to re-view it again on the big screen soon) I really enjoyed it for its comedy. When Indy gets trapped in the quicksand the humour is broad and playful and for me this wasn't too far from Indy calling for water at the end of the minecar chase in Temple of Doom or toppling down the castle stairs in The Last Crusade (potentially still my most favourite film of the four; but then we have over twenty years of familiarity with the first three and perhaps in twenty years' time Skull will feel just as comfortable and familiar).
Mr Ford's performance, then, remains true, I think, to the other films in the series and certainly in the second half of Skull the 'replaying' of The Last Crusade 's themes and comic tone are especially vivid. Mr Ford's comic effectiveness runs right through Crystal Skull (even the title is smile inducing). The same comic grace notes were there in his Han Solo incarnation and in so many of the right places in Witness and on, of course, to Working Girl, Sabrina and Six Days, Seven Nights. Even The Mosquito Coast (one of Mr Ford's all time greats) sees the character of Allie Fox marked not only by a relentless determinism but by humour also.
Yes indeed, Indy is brave, determined and resolute but he's also got a sense of humour and it's the humour in life that keeps us human much of the time. Alongside the sense of justice and that Mr Ford's characters typically embody it's the comic undertone that Mr Ford lends to the right moment that marks his great gift as an actor. Harrison Ford keeps genre movies real and in that is his great appeal and what we assume is his last adventure as Indiana Jones he reminds us why this character continues to endure.
James Clarke is the writer ofThe Pocket Essentials: George LucasandThe Pocket Essentials: Steven Spielberg. He is currently at work on a number of books including a book about the films of James Cameron (out in 2010) and a new Pocket Essentials guide book due out in 2009. James has also written forEmpiremagazine,The GuardianandMoving Picturesmovie magazine. Read more about James' work at www.james-blueskies.blogspot.com
Posted by Grethe on May. 28, 2008 at 02:04 PM
DREW STRUZAN: FIRST SUGGESTION
Left: Drew Struzan's first piece of artwork for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He writes the following on his web pages:
"This is the first piece of finished artwork I did for the fourth Indy. I did it at the request of George Lucas. While it was never used in the advertising campaign, you may recognize pieces of it that were imposed upon the advance poster."
Click image left to head over to Drew Struzan's official web pages
to see the image bigger size and view examples from his incredible portfolio.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is performing on predicted target for US domestic box office -- and unearths an massive treasure internationally. The international result is indeed impressive when we consider that the movie hasn't even opened in all markets yet. According to Variety, the movie has had the sixth biggest opening of all time internationally.
The official results:
May 22 - May 25
US Domestic
USD 126 million
International
USD 144 million
We have a feeling there'll be big grins and jitterbug over at Paramount & Lucasfilm tonight :)
On May 22, Disneyland launched The Indiana Jones Summer of Hidden Mysteries, which features Indy-inspired events and activities throughout Adventureland, among them Secret of the Stone Tiger (taking place in the former Aladdin's Oasis), Random Acts of Indy, a new photo location where you can get yourself photographed chased by a giant boulder, an Indiana Jones Map inviting guests to look for clues to adventure -- and Indy elements in the classic Jungle Cruise.
As far as we know, these activities apply to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. We have no news on the status of the Indy attractions in DisneyWorld (Florida) and the international parks (Europe, Asia). Head over to MiceChat to read get more details and see official shots of the new attractions.
The ideology committee of the communist party in St. Petersburg, Russia is unhappy with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. So unhappy they've written an open letter calling for boycott of the film and naming Harrison Ford and Cate Blanchett 'capitalist puppets'.
The letter addresses Harrison Ford directly: "Your work in this film is an insult to the Soviet and Russian people, who remember the difficult Fifties when our country was concluding its reconstruction after the Great War, but did not send merciless terrorists to the USA." The letter says that Russians had loved Ford in previous serious roles - which include a Soviet submarine commander in K-19: The Widowmaker - but continues: "You have no future in Russia any more. Speaking plainly, it is better for you not to come here. You will be beaten and despised"
The leader of the St. Petersburg Communist Party, Mr. Sergei Malinkovich, echoes the displeasure: "Our moviegoers are teenagers who are unaware of what happened in 1957. They will go to the cinema and will be sure that in 1957 we made trouble for the United States and almost started a nuclear war. It's rubbish." Comments from party members on the party's website are also acid.
As far as we know, no official statement or comment has been issued by the national Communist Party of the Russian Federation and the leader, Mr. Gennady Zyuganov. The CPRF is the second biggest party in the Russian national assembly (the Duma)
Suffice to say Harrison's big on the movie screen right now, he's also shown his face a bit on the TV screen. Here's a runthrough of his latest TV appearances: (be sure to have a look in the news items further down this page as well.)
A new featurette became available at the official Indiana Jones site yesterday: Team Indy - a visual presentation of key contributors in the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull crew. Click play below:
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has blazed through the gates in France: First day results are USD 2.2 million (@ 706 playdates, 240,000 admissions) -- the best results of the year for a Hollywood movie.
Speculations on midnight May 22 screenings in the US are in the USD 4 - 5 million range, signalling an opening day result of roughly USD 30 million. Crystal Skull runs at 4,260 playdates in the US.
SPIELBERG: WILL NEVER MAKE AN INDIANA JONES MOVIE WITHOUT HARRISON FORD
Swedish daily Aftonbladet got a very clear message from Steven Spiel- berg in a video interview with the paper at the Cannes festival. Upon being asked if he could imagine doing an Indiana Jones movie without Harrison Ford, the master director's reply left no room for interpretation:
"I will never make an Indiana Jones movie without that brilliant man."
A spectacular (pun intended) Harrison appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien yesterday night. If you didn't catch the show, click image left to head over to the show home pages -- you can watch clips and full shows there. (NB! You need to be hooked up to a US internet services provider to make it work.)
Harrison also appeared on Good Morning America today, where he demonstrated some pretty accurate non-verbal cracking skills. Click play below to see him in action:
On request: here's a funny moment from Harrison's appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman on Tuesday (May 20). Head over to to PopCrunch if you want to see the whole show online. Big thanks to HFW member Litzou for the find!
Harrison has also been interviewed on Reel Talk , click Play below:
A thank you is in order: to the cast and crew of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. We've waited l-o-n-g for our favorite professor, riding along with the ups and downs through the years. The last 17 months (since the official confirmation of the Indy 4 a.k.a the Genre project) have been an almost uninterrupted joyride -- at least as seen from the outside.
There are only a few hours - at most a few days - left of that long wait for most of us -- and we admit to being sensibly giddy.
HAPPY INDY DAY EVERYBODY and here's a little Summing Up Cannes & Thank You Video Card from all of us here at HFW:
Harrison had a busy day yesterday. He, partner Calista Flockhart, Shia LaBeouf and Karen Allen attended the BET 106 & Park NYC premiere of Crystal Skull at the AMC Magic Johnson Theater in Harlem. He appeared on the MTV TRL show with Shia and on the Late Show with David Letterman. Click the thumbs above to see pictures from the NYC premiere (left) and the appearance on MTV TRL (right)
Cate Blanchett attended the Sydney (Australia) premiere of Crystal Skull.
CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL DEFORESTATION PSA -- IN HQ ...also Behind the Scenes Featurette
Conservation International has launched a big time push re: their Lost There, Felt There forest conservation campaign and Harrison (CI Vice Chairman) is key campaign spokesman in all visual and audial media -- including on CI's great website.
As you may have seen on this site and on TV, Harrison has also done a brand new PSA -- where waxing off 'an acre' of his chesthair is an analogy to the issue in question.
Sneak preview the highly effective PSA - directed and photographed by none other than Janusz Kaminski - as well as the Behind the Scenes featurette by clicking Play below. Then head over to Conservation International, see Harrison explain further how important forests are for the global climate -- and please help out. If you donate USD 15, you will have helped save yet an acre of forest 'over there' and our common future -- right here.
VANITY FAIR: INDY AND THE RAIDERS OF THE BACK CATALOG Predict the Indy 5 McGuffin and win Blackberry & gorgeous crate!!
Predict Indy 5 McGuffin and win this crate! Click image to go to Vanity Fair (NB! Spoiler alert!!)
Vanity Fair has written a fine article (NB! Spoiler warning!!) called Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Back Catalog -- moments in the three previous Indiana Jones movies that may (or may not) have inspired Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
As if that wasn't enough: VF runs a contest where you can win an AT&T Blackberry Pearl 8110 and the contents of the gorgeous Indy crate seen left. Your task: predict the McGuffin (=plot device) of Indiana Jones V (blame that idea on George L. thinking aloud)
E-mail your inspired Indy V title and brilliant one-sentence synopsis to vfdaily@vf.com. VF will select their favorite on May 30.
Source: E-mail invitation from Vanity Fair (Thanks to Hamish Robertson!!)
Posted by Grethe on May. 21, 2008 at 08:33 AM
May 20, 2008
WANNA JOIN HARRISON FOR HIS PERSONAL GUESTS AND FRIENDS CRYSTAL SKULL SCREENING? Charity auction, proceeds will benefit homeless and abused animals
We rather thought you would -- and you'd be doing some good for others than yourself at the same time.
Charity Folks is auctioning two tickets for Harrison Ford's private screening of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at The Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire on May 23.
The winner gets round trip airfare for 2 to Los Angeles (within the continental US, other fares must be covered by yourself), a Harrison handshake (yup, you'll get to meet Da Man), a movie screening in the company of his closest family and friends -- and two nights at the Four Seasons. Not bad, hm?? The proceeds will benefit homeless and abused animals through Rescue Train.
Hurry up!! The auction ends in just a few hours (at 06.00 PM EST) and the highest bid is presently at USD 7,000 (increments: USD 500). Click the Charity Folks logo top for all details and terms.
GOOD LUCK!!!!
Source: Charity Folks (Big thanks to VP Jaime Gazes!!!)
Posted by Grethe on May. 20, 2008 at 03:03 PM
May 19, 2008
THE TV SCHEDULE AGAIN
Date
Show
May 20
Karen Allen on Good Morning America Harrison on BET 106 & Park Harrison on MTV TRL 1 hr Indy 4 Special on TV Guide Harrison on David Letterman Shia LaBeouf on Regis & Kelly
May 21
Harrison on Conan O'Brien
May 22
Harrison on GMA Harrison on Regis & Kelly
May 23
Harrison on The Early Show (CBS) Harrison on The View (w/Karen Allen)
May 24
Harrison on The Today Show (NBC)
As usual: please check your local TV listings for details. Thanks to digitafreaknyc and Lorrie for the heads up.
Posted by Grethe on May. 19, 2008 at 04:45 AM
CANNES PREMIERE PHOTOS
Harrison at the photocall
We have some pictures from Cannes in general, the Crystal Skull premiere arrivals, departure and the photocall earlier in the day. Click thumb left to go to HFW Gallery 1.
BOOK REVIEW The Indiana Jones Handbook - The Complete Adventurer's Guide by Denise Kiernan, Joseph D'Agnese
Timed to coincide with Indy's May 22nd return to the silver screen this 176 hardback book offers tips and tricks of the adventurer's trade. Complete with step-by-step instructions, helpful diagrams and full-color photography from the Indiana Jones films, readers will learn:
- How to pack for an expedition
- How to handle awkward foods
- How to ride an elephant
- How to identify secret passageways and booby traps
- How to escape if you're accidentally entombed
- How to avoid the wrath of God
The first thing that I enjoyed about the book is its size. It is compact yet practical in that you can tuck this baby in a large winter coat or a small duffel bag. This handbook is a fun read and in keeping with the spirit that the Indiana Jones movies are known for, this book will provide some good natured laughs - all this is done without being too silly/childish which, for me at least, is a major plus.
My favorite chapter is the guide on how to jump on a moving train (includes a diagram of Indy jumping the cars) with How to remove a Zombie curse my next favorite. The book is filled with several pictures from all three movies, along with Indy themed diagrams The Indiana Jones Handbook is a treat. There is no question that Denise and Joseph are, just like visitors to this site, major Indiana Jones fans and their love for the those movies shine through on each page.
For the casual and hard core collector The Indiana Jones Handbook - The Complete Adventurer's Guide is a must have for your collection. Go here to order the book where you can also check out the first page.
Posted by Eileen on May. 18, 2008 at 10:04 PM
REVIEWS AFTER CANNES: A MIXED CAN OF BEANS ...but the yaysayers lead the field
Indy 4 is off the starting blocks and got a nicer treatment in Cannes than The Da Vinci Code. There was definitely Indy fever on the French Riviera today with normally composed and self conscious reporters & critics literally climbing for seats -- and once into the Palais most of 'em broke into whistling, hollering, applause and a spontaneous dadadada -- dadaDAH when the movie started rolling. Having said that: the applause after the movie was pretty short and the reviews are mixed: So far roughly 2/3 are positive to very positive while 1/3 remain on the more sceptical side. Some excerpts:
Time Magazine (Richard Corliss): "Indiana Jones: Smart, Sleek, Familiar. Once it gets going, Crystal Skull delivers smart, robust, familiar entertainment. "
BBC (Mark Savage): "It is a load of old nonsense, of course, but the journey is worth the price of admission"
The Times (James Christopher): "Welcome back Indy. Lord knows we've missed you."
The LA Times (Kenneth Turan): "Spielberg clearly got enormous pleasure employing a lifetime's worth of skill and turning out wave after wave of smartly done stunts and effects set pieces. "
Variety (Todd McCarthy): "Director Steven Spielberg and star Harrison Ford have no trouble getting back into the groove with a story and style very much in keeping with what has made the series so perennially popular."
The Boston Globe (Ty Burr): "No, it's not as good as "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Don't be silly. Lightning can't be bottled twice, no matter how skilled the vintners. Instead, Steven Spielberg's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" is merely grand old-school fun -- a rollicking class reunion that stands as the second best entry in the venerable series."
People Magazine (Leah Rozen): "The magic is still there, only you have to work a little harder to make yourself believe this time."
The Sun Online: "So was it worth the wait? ...Absolutely."
Entertainment Weekly (Lisa Schwarzbaum): "There's joy and a middle-aged playfulness to the best of Steven Spielberg's unlikely sequel. And I mean that as a full compliment."
EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy): "The eagerly awaited fourth chapter is not a great film by any standard, but mixing conventions of all 1950s genres (sci-fi, adventure, and even horror and spy), it delivers the goods to the fans in a mass spectacle package that's a good old-fashioned fun"
Cinematical (James Rocchi): "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" feels simultaneously self-conscious and self-satisfied, as if a little warm glow of past glory will soothe our bumps and blows from the clumsiness of the script."
Chicago Tribune (Michael Phillips): "A lot of the picture veers uneasily between solemnity and slapstick and 47 different genres. Indiana Jones -- let's be honest -- never was a memorable movie character. He was, however, a sturdy vessel for our nostalgia, and for Spielberg's ability to shine up old serialized goods."
The Guardian (Peter Bradshaw): "Despite the genuine excitement, and one blinding flash of the old genius, this new Indy film looks like it's going through the motions."
Hollywood Reporter (Kirk Honeycutt): "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull gets swamped in a sea of stunts and CGI that are relentless as the scenes and character relationships are charmless."
Daily Telegraph (David Gritten): "Between a series of stunt-driven set-pieces, implausibly linked, the film gets bogged down in wearying talk."
Heise.de (Rüdiger Suchsland) "There are simply no surprises in this film"
Der Spiegel (Martin Wolf) "While these scenes still display the grandiose Spielberg touch -- perfectly chorographed action with jokes, the story gets more and more confused. Good gags? Humor? To a large extent off target. Thanks Indy, but that's quite enough."
TIMES ONLINE: 'IGNORE ALL THE GOSSIP, THE NEW INDIANA JONES IS WORTH THE WAIT'
According to UK's The Times, Indiana Jones takes whip to doomsayers. A preview attended by The Sunday Times last week suggested that the internet gossips who have doubted the film's drawing power may be proved wrong. Here's the review -- edited by us to leave out any potential spoilers. Click image left if you want to read the unedited text:
"For almost 20 years, Hollywood has been waiting for the next instalment in the money-spinning Indiana Jones adventure series. Indy is back this week -- and even an ageing Harrison Ford can still crack an impressive box office whip.
The worldwide opening on Thursday of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull -- the fourth instalment in the series featuring the world's most indestructible archeologist -- has been accompanied by enough controversy and intrigue to merit a film of its own.
Disagreements among producers, arguments between screen-writers and actors, and lawsuits against anyone who has dared to reveal a smidgen of plot, have combined to make the USD 185m (GBP 95m) film one of the most eagerly anticipated of the year.
Directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by George Lucas (of the equally spectacular Star Wars series), the film returns to 1957 -- the height of the cold war -- for another round of heart-pounding chases through tunnels and across clifftops as a motley gang of intrepid treasure hunters span the globe in their quest for the usual nonsense.
The long delay between the new adventure and the previous instalment -- released in 1989 and unwisely entitled Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade -- has piqued Hollywood's interest.
In the internet/video game age, when most recent action blockbusters have been derived from superhero cartoons, can an ageing screen idol who hasn't had a decent hit for years reprise the wild success of his youth?
The good news for Ford fans is that Indy may be older and greyer, but there's still a spark to his repartee, [**spoiler removed**]
Whether Ford's charm will be enough to earn the film the USD 400m it is estimated to need to recoup Paramount Pictures' investment remains to be seen. However, a preview attended by The Sunday Times last week suggested that the internet gossips who have doubted the film's drawing power may be proved wrong.
Jones admits early on that chasing baddies is not as easy as it used to be. In one scene [**spoiler removed**]
It rapidly becomes clear that since we last saw him saving the Holy Grail from the Nazis, Jones has [**spoiler removed**]
Much has been made in internet chatrooms about LaBeouf's potential impact on the film, and fears that he is merely a sop to lure teen viewers. Yet LaBeouf, who made a striking impact against computerised villains in Transformers, matches Ford quip for quip and leather jacket for leather jacket.
The first Indiana Jones film in 1981 was Spielberg's homage to the Saturday morning cliff-hanger serials of the 1930s. The latest film still has a pleasingly old-fashioned feel, with several long, slow shots, plastic-like foliage, tinny sound effects and [**spoiler removed**]
Cate Blanchett makes an eye-catching appearance as Irina Spalko, the spooky leader of the Russain villainry; John Hurt, [**spoiler removed**]
The crystal skull itself was formerly the subject of obscure disagreement between Spielberg and Ford, but it's now hard to see what the fuss was about. [**spoiler removed**]
The real pleasure for series fans may lie not so much in the madcap action [**spoiler removed**]
The new film has long appeared critic-proof -- audiences will flock to it whatever the critical verdict. Yet will it have the box-office legs to join its distinguished predecessors among the most popular films in Hollywood history?
It is bound to triumph this weekend -- the Memorial Day holiday in America -- but the latest Narnia adventure, Prince Caspian, is waiting in the wings, and the late Heath Ledger will soon make a posthumous return to screens in the Batman film, The Dark Knight. Indy may have his work cut out to save the day for Spielberg."
We have some new photos up from Cannes yesterday: Click thumb left to see them in HFW Gallery 1
Posted by Grethe on May. 17, 2008 at 05:24 AM
MAG NEWS: FILMINK
June 2008 issue Click to go to mag webpages
Australia's Filmink Film Magazine went on the news stands with the June 2008 issue yesterday May 16.
Featured contents besides the obvious Emile Hirsch Speed Racer article: Great Directors, Bad Films, George Clooney and Leatherheads -- and Harrison Ford: Back in the Hat for Indy 4. Also news on e.g Ray Winstone and the latest in Australian movies.
WISELY CHOSEN ON CANADIAN TV ....a World broadcast premiere!
Tick off Tuesday May 20 in the calendar. Canadian History Television premiers the documentary The Immortal Beaver at 09.00 PM ET/PT.
The Immortal Beaver follows the resurrection of the de Havilland Beaver Olivia, a weather beaten shell of an airplane that has been resting quietly for decades in the dusty Arizona desert.
This documentary features exclusive interviews from those who lived during Olivia's time, including Ross Bannock, a Canadian War Hero and test pilot for the prototype Beaver and modern-day enthusiasts including actor Harrison Ford, proud pilot of his own Canadian designed and built de Havilland Beaver. The Immortal Beaver captures the rescue, restoration and history of the aircraft that forever changed the face of aviation in Canada, culminating in Olivia's remarkable return to the air.
Here's the trailer, click Play below:
This weekend is also Harrison Ford movie Weekend on History TV Canada:
Thanks to Tenuto: A heads up on US TV shows wisely chosen in the upcoming days. All times are ET (Eastern Time) unless specified otherwise. Click logos in the left column for details -- and as usual we also recommend a peep in your local listings for last minute changes or local adjustments.
Indiana Jones and the Ultimate Quest Dr. Jones is just a fictitious character and it's widely assumed that the artifacts he searched for were also figments of a writer's imagination. But were they?
May 18, 08.00 PM May 19, 12.00 AM
Lord of the Ants Profile of E.O Wilson, known for his studies of ants and sociobiology Narrated by Harrison Ford
