A Look at: Josh Collins' "Sibling" movies

Family dynamics from all walks of life have always been a key to Josh Collins movies, particularly in a dramatic standpoint. He's often credited for featuring families in peril and just when you think you've seen enough, he'll add a twist here and there to freshen it up a bit. This freshness in his films particularly has been included in what he calls "sibling" movies: movies with main character siblings.

Original Colonies is his latest venture into the concept. A road trip film with 20-something siblings who are still young enough to be stupid and irresponsible and confused about what they want or need in life. Jesse Eisenberg(Social Network/Zombieland) and the slightly new and very beautiful Mia Wasikowska(Alice in Wonderland/Kids Are Alright) are the roommate siblings who both can't stand each other but also can't live without the other. Forced to raise themselves when their parents had no time for them, bitterness within the siblings were raised more when Jesse was old enough to move out on his own and his sister was still too young to be on her own.

You've found out lots about the story over the last few weeks: mysterious baby gets left on Jesse's doorstep and he believes the mother of the baby could be living in one of the original colonies of America he visited with friends a little over nine months before. He had a bet that he could sleep with at least one woman from each of the colonies. This mystery must go unsolved because it totally inconveniences Jesse's life so he must track down this mother in the hopes of returning the baby.

As we travel to these colonies with the siblings, we hit several road blocks like getting towed away (with the baby in Jesse's car no less) and the even crazier women we meet who Jesse hooked up with on his venture. Those are usually the funniest moments of the film, but there are plenty of dramatic moments in films when we're brought in to relate with the characters: in a drunken bar rant, Mia tells Jesse how much of a fuck up she is in her life, but it only adds to the inner realization that he too is a fuck up.

Original Colonies brings back the direction and writing pair Noah Baumbach and Josh Collins, who wrote the acclaimed sleeper dramedy: Lyra about a teenager coming to terms with the realization that she is a lesbian and the effects it has on her friends, family and her own life. Jena Malone had the starring role in that feature and won the GMA for her portrayal. She will be teamed up again with Noah and Josh in a supporting role as one of Jesse's crazy lovers. The film has a similar production feel to Lyra and we hope it brings in some more well deserved acclaim to CMP studio.


Now with the release of Original Colonies coming up soon, we shall take a look back at sibling movies of Josh Collins past.


THE FANTASTIC MANSION: Josh Collins' first pairing of young Hollywood powerful actresses Abigail Breslin and Dakota Fanning, the girls scored a nomination for best starring couple. Fantastic Mansion holds a certain charm you don't get to experience in many kiddie fantasy films anymore. A brilliant nod to the 70s-80s kid-appropriate fantasy films, Fantastic Mansion was a film about two orphan sisters who live with their rich uncle and find a secret passage that takes them through multiple new worlds. The film sprouted a sequel: Fantastic Island which like most sequels didn't live up to the quality of its predecessor.

THE PITIFUL PLIGHT OF TOM COLLINS: Based on a true story and also gathered a supporting actress nod, Pitiful Plight was about the life of a once proud man and ending it as a sorry shallow shell of what he once was. The siblings in this film are his grown daughters, all with their own point of views on their father.

THE ORPHAN TRAIN: Still regarded as one of Josh Collins' best, this too was based on a true story on Orphan Trains in America. Chase Ellison and Elle Fanning starred here as the sibling pair: orphans who are split up from each other and put on opposite ends of the country. While Elle holds on to the faith that her brother will come back to him, Chase also holds onto that hope while being treated badly by his adoptive parents who treat him as their slave more than their child. He escapes and goes cross country to find his young sis. Just as both are about to lose that hope, they do find each other in one of the most memorable endings of CMP: no words exchanged between the actors as they see each other for the first time since being split up. Elle's fantastic acting earned her a leading role in The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, also written by Josh and Chase was featured before in Dare to be Perfect, also a Collins film. The film was well received by critics and box office but GMA voters ignored it.

PRISON LETTERS: The reuniting of Dakota and Abigail showed they still have it while acting together. This time as teens and this time as sisters who just can't stand each other: so much that Dakota goes so far as to threaten to choke Abigail out if she exposed her bad ways to their parents. Abigail forms a friendship with a prison inmate through a penpal program and she ends up being that deciding factor of Dakota's change when she is killed off. The film earned great critical reception and a few GMA nods.

The spout getting a little wet?

After about 5 months of not pitching anything and 2 months of nothing new to report, we have finally pitched a brand new movie today. This one is yet again another drama, but something ripped from the headlines and something which hit close to where he lives within the last few years.

You will be seeing some CMP newbies but acting veterans in this film: the likes of Rowan Atkinson, famously portrayed as the goofy Mr. Bean taking on one of the most challenging roles of his career. It will also feature the surviving brother of the Belushi brothers: Jim, who has been seen in films which he's been able to show off some acting skills in 'Ghost Writer' and the unfortunately short-lived dramedy, 'The Defenders' and in this upcoming film in question, he will be playing a defense attorney. I just feel that he fits that sleazy defense attorney mold very well.

And if you think Kristen Stewart is the worst actress ever, I really hope you take into account her other films before she hit it big in Twilight. She is very good and in this film, she will show off reasons why you shouldn't count her out so fast.

So if you haven't made the connection yet, there's really no hope for you. A sleazy male defense attorney, a very young female...ripped from the headlines of the news..gee, what could it be? So you're probably all sick of hearing about it, but ripped from the headlines is not a new thing for Josh Collins to do and this one was bound to happen, why not see how it turns out before it hits Hollywood?

We are also excited for the upcoming release of 'Here Kitty, Kitty' an animated feline tale about a couple of domestic house cats getting stuck in the Australian Outback and their mission to get home. The film is actually inspired by a true story of a real cat who was accidentally locked in a shipping truck and brought across the country and managed to find its way back to its owner. The cats in Here Kitty, Kitty are thrust into a situation they're not used to, hopelessly lost.

You may shrug your shoulders, but it's another chance for Collins to show off the cute and fun movies for those who like cute animated films: it's been quite a few seasons since we've seen it and families with young kids aren't going to wait forever for the next cute animated movie to come out. If the story doesn't fancy you, we hope the great art direction and animation will keep you mesmerized. It's also a chance for us to show off yet again that Cats get the short end of the stick for roles in movies. They're the supporting animal, the big stupid buddy, the villain; even the cat in Bolt was just the supporting feline.

Collins has a thing for cats, as much as he likes dogs too, cats are just as adventurous and mysterious enough to get stories out of but rarely get the spotlight shined on them as carrying an entire feature. So we do hope you go see Here Kitty, Kitty: a story about friendship, love and the joy of licking yourself, mate!

just an example of what you're going to see in the art designs, something so good you won't notice it's computer animated!

BREWIN' IDEAS

If Hollywood is running out of ideas, so is Josh Collins.

I am making a very big reach for films here nowadays. I seem to have joined the ranks of others who make adaptations of certain things. Seems as if I'm just writing films to write them, unfortunately. I mean, look at my idea for a God of War film.

It will not stop, but I will try to adapt certain things I wouldn't mind seeing on the big screen myself.

One idea that is definitely coming into fruition: Here is a hint, he was an icon of the 1980s, he was short, brown and had a hunger for cats.

Another adaptation idea: In the similar vein of 1980s icons, another hint: They were Jim Henson muppets living underground.

Adaptation idea #3: 1980s Disney-cartoon icons about bouncing bears who also have a candy named after them.

I'll be honest, all three of these 80s icons may certainly be gracing the Collins roster of films once he can put together that magic little thing known as a plot. He will also have to study the TV shows as it's been nearly 30 years since they've last been seen on TV.

Honorable mentions goes to an adaptation of Neverending Story. The original author of the book hated the 80s film. Hopefully we can make something he would like to enjoy, but at the same time, there is a magic of the original 80s film that technology these days just can't touch and that is a big reason why we may just have to leave well enough alone here.

In terms of original works, I still have a few lined up, so I haven't COMPLETELY sold out.
*Bob Felton mentioned this week 'Here Kitty, Kitty' it is an animated film about house-cats getting stuck in the Australian outback and finding their way back home. This isn't the first film I've written about cats, remember Karate Kat? Cats need more adventure films, as adventurous and curious as they are(well, at least cats who get to roam around outside.)
*There is also an upcoming very morbid film about reincarnation down the pipeline.
*Another film which I hope does pretty well is about a guy and his roommate sister going on a trip to find the mother of the baby left on their apartment doorstep.
*Not pitched yet but still in writing development is about a 20-something year old virgin whose tired of being 'the hookup guy' aka the guy who gets his friends laid while he's always alone.


We wish to extend our thanks to Dawson Edwards for stepping up and continuing the Metroid series. We know he will surely be able to keep the series afloat. We are confident the latest addition will bring in every bit as much cash for CMP as the first film did!

Thanks to Thomas Dekker and Marissa Tomei for stepping in and wanting to work in Somewhere Other Than the Night. We were willing to give Robert a chance to not be 'Mr. Twilight' but he's more concerned with glittering. Screw him, we will just make sure we never think of him for another role. That's right, he can go run and cry to his publicist and Bob Felton all he wants, we don't give a rat's turd. You know what happens to actors who constantly refuse movies in CMP? Ever hear of Shia Labeouf? Even Emile Hirsch is getting nitpicky and therefore isn't in as many CMP films as his previous seasons.

Michelle on the other hand, we do have lots of respect for her as an actress. She said she would have done our film, but with scheduling conflicts it was either that movie or ours and she wanted the chance to work in a Scorsese movie; who knows how many more movies he will have.



So with the inventions of ipods and music with your phones and free torrent sites or whatever else, CDs are rapidly falling into the pit of obsolete and it's hard for musicians to make their money when people are torrenting their stuff. Well, if you decide to download the songs legally or illegally, be sure to pick up the soundtrack for 'Somewhere Other Than the Night' songs are performed by Perla Haney-Jardine and they include covers of 'When Will I Be Loved' originally performed by Everly Brothers and also Linda Ronstadt.

Somewhere Other Than The Night

We are definitely keeping an eye out for 'Somewhere Other Than the Night' now that it approaches a release date this season in the next coming weeks. Like said in the recent CMP blog posting, it tells the story of a darker side of stardom; a talented teen girl who both loves and hates the art of singing. Her family thrust her into the spotlight and ride the curtails of her success.

Did you notice: Somewhere Other Than the Night is the name of a song by legendary country singer Garth Brooks? The song has very slight references, but is not completely connected to the film. Lyrics like 'she needs to hear I love you' in the chorus are really the only thing you can relate to the film.

The film sets Josh Collins back to his older roots. You may have noticed with a few recent drama releases that the dramas Josh Collins produced were different in tone than what we've seen of his. Critics once cited him for being TOO dramatically intense, but as he progressed, he found that balance between not overdoing it and not underdoing it.

Perla Haney Jardine takes on the leading role in this film, and if you know Collins, you know he strives to bring out the best in his young actors. Screenwriters often seek him in helping them find a kid or teen who isn't as big as Dakota, Abigail or Chloe. Perla will be making her CMP debut: we hope you've seen the clips he posted on the forums promoting Perla's acting chops and screen tests. She graces the screen with such maturity and innocence, the perfect mix for the character she portrays in the film. Sofia Coppolla also strives to get the best out of her female performances as well. There were a few suggestions, but it was her who was the final choice.

This may not be the final time we'll see Perla in a Collins film. He is considering a Collins 'young actor/actress' reunion, but that's just rumors!

If you've ever seen Kill Bill Volume 2, you've seen Perla in her debut role. Can you believe that very cute kid would grow up to be as pretty as the above picture?


And lastly as we look forward to Perla being inducted into Collins' roster of young actresses we finish this post with a look at our 6 favorite young actress performances in a Collins film:

6:
AnnaSophia Robb in Paternal Nightmare
This may not have been the most critically acclaimed film ever, but

you can not deny that AnnaSophia was the one to watch for in the film. She was a kind-hearted voice of reason in a rather hectic situation; her mother slept with two best friends and wasn't sure who the biological father of AnnaSophia was. The dad she thought was her dad for 12 years never really had time for her, but the other possible dad was an eccentric screw up who managed to bond with her throughout the film. She would go on to star in the superhero series: Silver Sable.

5:
Dakota Fanning in Prison Letters

Hollywood's young girl-next-door who could do nothing wrong played a role she is not used to, and that's what garnered a lot of attention, including a GMA nod. She played here the sister of Abigail Breslin(not to be confused with their previous encounter in Fantastic Mansion) but the difference there is, in Prison Letters, they played sisters who just never could see eye to eye. She bullied Abigail, did the kinds of things you wouldn't want to know as a parent. The girl you learned to love in I Am Sam became the one to hate, and it was her portrayal that made it that way. Dakota is still a powerhouse in CMP and a well liked member of the Grand Island family.


4.
Ivana Baquero: Blink

She joined the club of one of the few actors/actresses under 18 to win a GMA for her performance in Blink. Ivana portrayed the best friend of murdered girl, Dakota Fanning. She would go on to perform her own investigation into the death of her friend while assessing her life, death and the afterlife. Her facial expressions alone in the film were the talk of the town. Unfortunately, she too has gone under the GMA curse: her only other acting work in CMP has been 'United I Stand,' a very underwhelming film.






3.
Chloe Moretz in Fictitious Images

Even before her fame took off in both CMP and Hollywood, Josh Collins recognized Chloe's irresistible charm and talent. A fan of hers from the beginning of her career, Josh knew she would have to be one of his go-to kids for roles. Fictitious Images has been her most challenging in CMP, playing a child whose mother had put the thought of her father molesting her into her head with stories of accusations of abuse, thus breaking up a daughter's relationship with her father. Things get even more complicated when mother, Naomi Watts' own father steps into the picture. Turns out he too had been accused of molesting Naomi, thankfully it was all fabrications brought on by Naomi's disturbingly sick mother. The theory in the film was how easy a parent or loved one can put stories and lies into a child and stand by them so much that it will make even that child start to believe the stories. Chloe has had a tremendous career in CMP since the film, and including Collins' films starring in the drama: Velcro and the satire comedy Salintology.


2.
Elle Fanning The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Another actress whose blossomed both in Hollywood and the CMP studio, and another actress Josh has been following the career of since her debut. Elle Fanning plays here the lead role: a lone 9 year old girl lost in the woods in this adaptation of the Stephen King book. She was wrongfully denied a nod at a GMA, but you can't nominate them all. She carried the entire film like Tom Hanks in Castaway. A scary film, we all had that moment as children when we were deathly scared of something: whether we were lost in the woods or not. Elle fought to survive, looked death in the face and under that strive to survive lied a scared little girl as she struggled to keep her sanity in tact. There was something about her performance that just made the whole movie that much more watchable!


1.
Abigail Breslin Fireflies in the Jelly-Jars
If you know Collins, you know he is a fan of Miss Breslin. She has starred the most in his films and has maintained a consistent career in both CMP and Hollywood. Fireflies marks her GMA winning performance. Before Fireflies, she had multiple opportunities to show off her acting chops: Hollyweird, Dare to be Perfect, but it was Fireflies that finally got naysayers to shut up. In the film, she portrays a girl just existing in a life controlled by her iron-fisted father, yearning to break free from him. She finds solace in music, writing and art, attempts to take care of a sick dog, falls in what she thinks is love all while being left with the burden of abandonment from her mother. No kid should have to feel like her role did, but she played it with flying colors. She will always have a home in CMP!