Shia says Indy 5 is 'cracked'

Frank Marshall discusses Indy V with Empire.

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=25095

Looks like I am a little late with this news.

The most telling thing in Marshall's account is that they clearly have a timetable in mind. Unlike the long delay to Indy 4, everyone is eager to make a sequel quickly. The only time this really happened before is when Ford issued a "now or never" ultimatum back in 2006. And of course, a few months later, the movie was officially announced.

This also helps to explain why both Spielberg and Ford have been reluctant to fill their schedules. Each man usually has several projects in the works- even if it's something they're merely rumored to be circling.

Ford, especially, has been surprisingly slow to commit to anything that requires heavy lifting. He desperately needed the career boost that Indy 4 provided, yet has been very slow to capitalize on its success. It certainly looks as though he's keeping himself available for another installment.

Johnny Nys said:

In CS, Spalko reveals their intentions during the hypno-scene. Nothing immediately world threatening about it all.

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I think it just depends on how seriously one views the Cold War. Admittedly, a lot of younger viewers probably couldn't relate to the idea.

But Spalko's explanation is certainly more substantial than anything Mola Ram offered up, and is even backed up by a world superpower. Are we really going to pretend that "toppling the gods" is a better plan than Red Scare intimidation?

I suppose it's too much to hope that Janus 'Mr. Sheen' Kaminski sits this one out. Check the Skull screenshots page: for the most part the movie alternates from pale green to dull brown.

The Man said:

I suppose it's too much to hope that Janus 'Mr. Sheen' Kaminski sits this one out. Check the Skull screenshots page: for the most part the movie alternates from pale green to dull brown.

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One can hope.

Let's not forget the hazy dream sequence look of the wedding!

James said:

The most telling thing in Marshall's account is that they clearly have a timetable in mind. Unlike the long delay to Indy 4, everyone is eager to make a sequel quickly. The only time this really happened before is when Ford issued a "now or never" ultimatum back in 2006. And of course, a few months later, the movie was officially announced.

This also helps to explain why both Spielberg and Ford have been reluctant to fill their schedules. Each man usually has several projects in the works- even if it's something they're merely rumored to be circling.

Ford, especially, has been surprisingly slow to commit to anything that requires heavy lifting. He desperately needed the career boost that Indy 4 provided, yet has been very slow to capitalize on its success. It certainly looks as though he's keeping himself available for another installment.

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Very good point!

I was scanning the pages, reading a lot of interesting comments, then I happened to see this one:

Resident Alien said:

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And I laughed A LOT!!! Resident Alien, you are great!!

And now, back to my reading. Maybe in the next half a hour or so I will come up with something more intelligent to say.

The Stranger said:

Resident Alien, you are great!!

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I know.

Lance Quazar said:

That's a very good analysis of some of the film's larger structural problems, particularly in the first act.

That's why the movie, particularly the beginning, were so darn boring. So much extraneous business that didn't advance the story in any meaningful way. The structure of this film is extraordinarily sloppy.

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I'd say it's a partially good analysis of the film's problems, but I simply can't agree with some of its assumptions and conclusions. For one thing, it makes tangential statements about the supposed inferiority of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, presumably to bolster the argument for this movie's shortcomings (with the idea that the show is inferior, and therefore anything in this movie that more concretely ties the movies to the TV show is a misstep). If that's the argument, I frankly find it unsupportable, since as I've stated before I think the show is brilliant, and frankly better than most of the movies (including this one), even while enhancing and complementing them.

That's not the only thing I'd question with this piece, but it's the one I find most difficult to go along with. As indicated, I do agree with a substantial part of the post, but not nearly enough to put my opinion of the movie in the same ballpark.

Crack that whip said:

I'd say it's a partially good analysis of the film's problems, but I simply can't agree with some of its assumptions and conclusions. For one thing, it makes tangential statements about the supposed inferiority of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, presumably to bolster the argument for this movie's shortcomings (with the idea that the show is inferior, and therefore anything in this movie that more concretely ties the movies to the TV show is a misstep). If that's the argument, I frankly find it unsupportable, since as I've stated before I think the show is brilliant, and frankly better than most of the movies (including this one), even while enhancing and complementing them.

That's not the only thing I'd question with this piece, but it's the one I find most difficult to go along with. As indicated, I do agree with a substantial part of the post, but not nearly enough to put my opinion of the movie in the same ballpark.

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I agree, his shots at YIJ are out of left field and totally irrelevant to his larger points.

He doesn't support those arguments at all, either, and takes it as a given that the show was bad.

It harms his argument since it's out of left field, unsupported and distracts from his main thesis.

That said, I think his analysis, particularly regarding the film's first act, are insightful and spot on, particularly where he talks about scenes which really don't serve any function to advance the story or illuminate the characters. So much of KOTCS' first third is boring and flabby.

He gets a little less specific as he goes along, but he still makes some good points.

The Man said:

Indeed. We see Indy in his own house twice within ten minutes. Simple yet very telling...

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From a purely fannish perspective, I actually wish we got to see more of the house, though that's just me (I'm not saying it'd make for a better movie or anything like that).

I will say I don't think just having two scenes in Indy's house is any kind of problem. I agree there are script issues with KotCS - the lack of delineation for Mac's character (the novelization is much better in this regard, BTW), the underutilization of Marion and Ox, the muddiness of the whole milieu of the cemetery warriors, and the absence of any substantive grounds in dialogue for the Mayan connection to the Ugha / Akator - but I really don't think going back to Indy's house for some exposition (whose delivery there makes sense) is a huge issue.

Does anyone remember, apart from the revelation of the title and the release of the trailer, when did the first confirmed details of CS came out? Was it an early script draft which leaked?

Johnny Nys said:

Does anyone remember, apart from the revelation of the title and the release of the trailer, when did the first confirmed details of CS came out? Was it an early script draft which leaked?

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Right about New Years 06. Lucas confirmed it.

I was completely content with Indy 4, so another Indy movie coming out will just be icing on the cake. But still, until there's more production underway, I'm not getting my hopes too high yet.

Johnny Nys said:

Does anyone remember, apart from the revelation of the title and the release of the trailer, when did the first confirmed details of CS came out? Was it an early script draft which leaked?

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Well, there was talk for years about various drafts that all dealt with some of the same ideas and scenes (aliens, nuked fridge, etc.) even though lots of the rest of the story would change from version to version; presumably anyone following the development history of the movie and privy to some of the leaked / rumored scripts could notice the story "carry-overs" and make some intelligent guesses about what "basic ingredients" George Lucas insisted upon having in the movie, whatever final form it might take. Beyond that, there was an extra on the movie who broke his NDA and blabbed some details to the press fairly early on during production; I don't know how comprehensive or detailed his leaks were, since I was dodging spoilers and therefore didn't read them at the time, but I have to imagine he gave away at least a fair number of secrets (or alternately, provided confirmation of certain things to people who'd already made guesses or followed rumors). When was that guy's leak, again?

Frank Marshall comments- http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/06/18/indiana-jones-5-really-isnt-that-close/

Crack that whip said:

Beyond that, there was an extra on the movie who broke his NDA and blabbed some details to the press fairly early on during production; I don't know how comprehensive or detailed his leaks were

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I believe his leaks were little more than general info about the jungle camp sequence. For example, "Harrison was tied to a chair...there were some tents...etc."

If the question is when concrete details began to arrive, it wasn't until filming was already underway in the summer of 2007. Prior to that, it had pretty much been five long months of nothing but the occasional bit of casting news. They did a fairly good job of keeping the film under wraps- especially when you consider how much usually slips out about a production.

spiralout said:

I was completely content with Indy 4, so another Indy movie coming out will just be icing on the cake. But still, until there's more production underway, I'm not getting my hopes too high yet.

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My thoughts exactly. I'm glad we're getting some bits of information but until the script is done and agreed upon by all involved I'm not going to get too excited.

So howlong until Indy 5 get's it's own forum? Man this is good news!

bennihana123 said:

Frank Marshall comments- http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/06/18/indiana-jones-5-really-isnt-that-close/

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Wow, that's a pretty telling interview, specifically on how there's nothing definite about all this.

And in case the situation still isn’t clear, Marshall weighs in again. “Until there’s a script, nothing’s definite. I haven’t heard the idea.” Last time settling on a script took years, as Spielberg, Lucas and Ford all have to approve the story and any draft. I’d like to think that after taking a long, hard look at the fourth film, Spielberg at least might be severely critical of any pages that cross his desk. Especially if they involve Indy Jr. in a serious capacity, which has to be part of the idea.

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This makes me wonder if Spielberg realizes the so-so nature of Skull, and the potential to really tarnish the series with yet another lackluster installment? He has to be somewhat aware of what the Star Wars prequels did to the legacy of the series...right?

deckard24 said:

Wow, that's a pretty telling interview, specifically on how there's nothing definite about all this.



This makes me wonder if Spielberg realizes the so-so nature of Skull, and the potential to really tarnish the series with yet another lackluster installment? He has to be somewhat aware of what the Star Wars prequels did to the legacy of the series...right?

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What's with this "damaging the legacy" stuff all the time? Both original trilogies will always stay the same you know.. (except for the little bit of CGI added in the Star Wars OT)