OUTTAKES #007

Well, we're finally getting back on our feet around here and I can get back to blogging. But to buy a couple more days to finish the next review, here's more cartoons.

James Cameron's "Avatar" Secrets Revealed: Warning Spoilers !

**UPDATED (March 4th): Just wanted to clarify that until Cameron comes out and states otherwise, the original thought was that "Avatar" would be about 60% CGI. You can see the outdoor green screens here and here; they look ENORMOUS. However, there is a large live action component as well that Cameron must feel deserves the detailed set treatment - mainly interior shots it appears. Also it wouldn't take much to move the Biolabs from inside to the exterior green scene to create the environment. I also wanted to say that we don't know if they are creating life sized plants for this movie - though it would make sense to do so in some cases. Many flora shots would be CGI - my source was referring to "how others had the whole communication thing explained to them" by the powers at be. So whether it is exposed to the audience in a scientific way (sort of how in "Jurassic Park" they explained how they retrieved the DNA from dinosaurs) or whether they plan on "suspending belief" of the audience (i.e. unexplained) remains to be seen. Either way, it is an awesome premise and BEGS my curiosity. One thing is certain - science plays an interesting role in this movie; whether they keep the "theory" behind various communication techniques in a black box or expose it like in Jurassic Park is a guess at this point! My conjecture would be that Grace (Sigourney Weaver) explains it to someone and the audience (of course) listens in. If you want the details, highlight the white text below as it does contain spoilers.

Well I told ya it was coming and here it is. Exclusive Avatar news you can't get anywhere else. Now a small caveat here: These notes are from a while back and some things may have changed during filming, but what has been noted DID EXIST at one point and these notes are authentic:

Got some VERY interesting news from one of my "Avatar" sources that was involved with getting this 3D motion picture made. AWESOME news in fact. In fact, you may not want to read this as there are definite mini-spoilers in this that may affect your viewing pleasure.

**SPOILERS BELOW** Highlight the white text below to read the contents:

My source was very clear on a number of things including some of the basis for the movie as well as how things looked inside the production buildings:

1. "Avatar" production set:

ON SHIPS:

There were hundreds of workers building the sets for Avatar - MDF was being thrown around like candy to make the sets as realistic as possible - and it was very successful. The transport ships for instance achieved a "matte steel appearance" that was undetectable. Those transport ships look pretty much like the new Battlestar Gallactica transports, but much bigger - like ten times bigger. These sets filled the interior of the set buildings in Wellington - to the rafters. All very real looking and NOT scaled down - it was all life size.

ON THE MESS HALL BUILDING:
This is mainly where the security forces interior scenes were shot. It was large (30 x 30 feet) made to look like steel construction with only a few windows to view the outside world. The feeling that was conveyed with this structure was that the soldiers were trying to bring their own home with them to this alien planet Pandora, and ignore what was happening outside - kind of like what happens when soldiers are deployed overseas today and they set up coffee shops, etc to keep from feeling terribly homesick. On the wall of the mess hall was a large US flag that takes up half the space - something like 10 x 15 feet) - this could indicate political overtones for the movie.

ON OTHER BUILDINGS:
There were other buildings being made that were for science related things. My source only saw these labs from the outside and they seemed very true to their nature. I spoke to some other workers and they said that they look like typical laboratories - one larger lab (about 30 x 30 feet) and one mobile lab (which was about 6 x 15 feet). Sigourney Weaver's character who plays Grace in "Avatar" spends a lot of time in a control room in the bigger one.

2. "Avatar" Story Basics:
ON THE ANIMALS:
Apparently the animals can communicate with the plants of Pandora, but my source was kind of hazy on that. Not only that, but the native Na'vi inhabitants take their own hair and weave it into the hair of Pandora's animals and can communicate that way to them!

ON THE PLANTS:
Many workers were talking about how they are using LED lights to show how plants "talk" to other plants on the planet. They use these lights to show how electrons move back and forth between plants through their root system. Again - my source didn't know much more than that. However, if you examine the plants in the photo here - you can see the luminosity that is being spoken of that seems to be present not only in the plants but also in the Na'vi natives of Pandora.

ON THE AVATARS:
A lot of speculation was taking place on the set about how the Avatar chambers work. This is where humans link up with their native avatars to kind of take over their bodies. The chambers were really very cool and if you can picture the cryo chambers in the Alien movies, take those and put them upright with a darker appearance. I suspect that Sigourney Weaver's Grace plays a key role in discovering the crucial communication methods and applying them to humans.


**SPOILERS ABOVE** Highlight the white text above to read the contents:

One can see a progression here of humans encountering this awesome alien communication system and then taking that idea, studying how it is done in the labs and then applying it to human to Na'vi avatar communication. At least that is my thoughts on it. Wow. This movie is going to really redefine the theater going experience! A great story, awesome effects and all in 3D. Man am I psyched. I also want to add that taking photos of the sets was impossible - so none are available (so far anyway).

Hopefully we will see some exciting new promo materials from Jim Cameron as also exclusively uncovered by my "Avatar" sources in the coming weeks...
As always, I will post new info as I receive it - unless the sensitivity is too extreme and my source asks me to hold back somewhat. This post for instance is missing some truly cool stuff but I cannot divulge it due to the fact it would closely label just who my source in this case is. Let's put it this way: I am smiling a lot more today... :-)

First two images courtesy of HDVideoPro

Time to Talk 3D Movie Rumors!

Well, there have been quite a few rumors and some have even been promoted to the official schedule, but as you can see on my Upcoming 3D Movie List - I include rumors as a category to make things interesting. Let's dive into these and see what bubbles to the surface shall we?

1. Transformers 2 (Paramount) (June 2009)
This could seriously happen. I have heard this a few times already and the thing still hasn't been written yet (although they have locked 3 writers in a room). Those effects would look AWESOME in 3D there is no doubt. Perhaps 3D is the only way to trump what has already been done regarding effects! Still a rumor though...

2. Baywatch 3D (Spielberg/Reitman)
I have it from an exceptionally strong source that I trust dearly that Steven Spielberg and Ivan (not Jason) Reitman paid 7 figures for the movie rights to the all time most popular TV show. Yes, interesting things could be done with 3D effects in this movie to be certain, but what about the artistic value? I ask you - what about the art? Haha. We all know this movie would make a bazillion dollars.

3. Godzilla 3D
Well this has been planned for some time now but financing has always been an issue. It certainly has an international following especially in one smaller Asian country that rhymes with Kapan. Was Cloverfield enough for everyone or shall we revisit this in 3D? Time will tell.

4. The Hobbit Part 1 (2010) (New Line) (Peter Jackson) CONFIRMED. Waiting for official statement that it is in 3D. Lawsuit pending.
5. The Hobbit Part 2 (2011) (New Line) (Peter Jackson) CONFIRMED. Waiting for official statement that it is in 3D. Lawsuit pending.
Numbers 4 and 5 above are much stronger rumors than most. My direct sources within Peter Jackson's WETA are the reason why they are here. We know for instance that Jackson's camp held a large internal meeting to discuss the merits of 3D specifically and how they would pull it off. There is immense pressure to kick the Tolkien franchise up a notch and 3D is it. Now that Time/Warner is driving the ship and PJ is in their back pocket, look for the lawsuits to be settled and "The Hobbit" to take flight. We are still calling for Guillermo del Toro to direct the first movie and PJ to helm the second. Will let you know if the air changes via my sources.

6. LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring (2012) (Re-released in 3D) (New Line) (Peter Jackson) Waiting for official announcement.
7. LOTR: The Two Towers (2013) (Re-released in 3D) (New Line) (Peter Jackson) Waiting for official announcement.
8. LOTR: The Return of the King (2014) (Re-released in 3D) (New Line) (Peter Jackson) Waiting for official announcement.
These are really no-brainers when "The Hobbit" proceeds in 3D. It breathes new life into the LOTRs and justifiably so - it's not just a "digitally remastered" re-release - 3D brings about an entirely new perspective into the characters and story. Can't wait for this! My bet is that the three LOTRs releases make more than the first three Star Wars re-releases in 3D. The PJ camp internal meeting also talked about the LOTR 3D conversions.

9. The Gate 3-D (Randall William Cook, Director) Rumored 3-D remake of the original 1980s flick about a gate to hell. (JoBlo)
A rumor from our friends over at JoBlo.com - it has garnered some comments in my inbox about how exciting this would be as they remember the original years ago. Yeah - gate, hell, flames, 3D - could work!

10. King Kong (Peter Jackson) Often connected with a 3D re-release may come to fruition soon. Jackson was definitely seen shooting with 3D cameras during the production of King Kong.
Now this would be a great re-release. There are plenty of scenes that beg for 3D: Insect alley for one!

11. Piranha 3D (July 24, 2009) (Alexandre Aja) (Dimension Films) A remake of Joe Dante's original, Arizona's Lake Havasu ruptures its floor after an earthquake releasing prehistoric piranhas.
There is nothing better in 3D for sheer spectacle than floating objects that come at you - yes, it is a gimmick and yes if done incorrectly is very cheesy - but I hold hope for this genre. Stereo Vision has another 3D Piranha movie in the works too (Aubrey Blaze Piranha 3D).

12. Stewardesses 3-D (Summer 2009) (Condon /Meyer - Remake) (Adirondack International Pictures)
The highest grossing 3D movie of all time (whoops, the second highest grossing 3D movie - hello Hannah Montana) is being lined up for a potential remake. I throw this into the Baywatch moneymaker category.

13. Tron 3D (Spring 2011) (Disney) AICN Rumor - although it sounds like someone just vomited a bunch of great Disney movie franchises and decided to put 2011 as a date. Still it is interesting. Of course a fan might have seen the old "Avatar" Na'vi concept art and thought that "Hey that looks like Tron - let's start a rumor about that".

James Cameron Interviewed in HDVideoPro Magazine: Scanned Pages !

Awesome James Cameron interview here - some "Avatar" tidbits:

A Glimpse of Avatar (James Cameron) "I can't think of a better movie for 3-D - action, creatures, big aerial battles and more. It's going to rock the house. It's another world - a world of great beauty and savagery, a mystical place where humans, with their greed and technology, confront a virgin world of great danger and wonder. When t he humans try to take what's not theirs, as they have done since the dawn of time whenever they inhabit a new land, the land fights back. And the fight is on; the scale is off the chain. And that's all I am saying."

Take a look at the pages that have been scanned and consider buying the copy of HDVideoPro magazine - they are a great resource!

If you thought this was cool - you haven't seen anything yet. I have been in conversation with one of my "Avatar" sources and do I have news for you! There will be spoilers so consider yourself warned now. The information I have is so sensitive that I am allowing the source to review my post BEFORE it is published. Can't argue with that, working with Cameron would be a dream. Look for this post just as soon as I hear back from my source.

"My Bloody Valentine 3-D" Coming on January 23rd, 2009 !

I can hear all the horror fanatics around the world rejoicing that their genre will not be left behind in the new 3D craze that is revolutionizing Hollywood and theater entertainment!

"My Bloody Valentine 3-D" has been announced via Lions Gate's publicity site for release on January 23, 2009. Patrick Lussier is apparently the director of the remake based on Zane Smith's script.

If you have been a reader of MarketSaw over the past year, you know that I simply love certain genre's in 3D. Sure, I believe that everything across the board can be not just be made, but made in a superior fashion than 2D ever was - but I especially believe that for horror, fantasy and sci-fi. Why? Because suspension of belief is so important in these films - 3D makes it easier for us to become immersed in the story and actually feel as though we are part of what is going on. That makes it a better experience. So bring 'em on horror franchise owners - all of 'em!

A bit about Iraq

Frequent readers / people who know me are probably aware that I have... let's call them "issues" with the war in Iraq. Specifically, I think it was a horrendous tactical blunder and moreso I don't see any evidence that the now-targeted "endgame" - i.e. getting a nation overwhelmingly dominated by violent, religion-maddened tribalists to simply "skip" centuries of cultural evolution and go directly from killing one another of who goes to the right church to Jeffersonian Democracy in a few years - can realistically be achieved even if we DO manage to stabilize the day-to-day operations. We should leave, is my opinion, with the recognition that this CANNOT be done all at once and that we'll probably continue to have bases there same as we still do in Japan and Germany of course... but we should be focused on how to best end the military operation proper.

So far, the war has failed to dominate the presidential race mostly because it's so much in flux. The only thing you can be sure of is that the war will end SOONER than Republicans say it has to and LATER than Democrats promise it will. In fact, given that the election of a new president doesn't magically change every single general and officer in the field and at the Pentagon overnight it's probably going to end around the same time regardless of which side wins. The difference will be the rhetoric: A Democrat president will say that the war ended because Democrats ended it and shame on the Republicans for trying to stop the ending, a Republican will says that it's able to end because Republicans pushed for us to "surge" long enough to get over the hump and shame on the Democrats for trying to stop THAT.

In any case, I'm generally against prolonging the war without realistic cause. I'm reasonably certain that Barack Obama agrees with me about this, but then again I can't be sure because for me to know conclusively would require that Obama say something of actual substance and/or definition in his speeches and so far that hasn't happened yet. (Look guys, I like Barack just fine but the whole tone of his campaign up to this point turns me off completely - "Obamania" comes off more like a self-help religious movement than a political campaign, and that friends is when I check out. Call me back when the actual one-on-one campaign starts, where presumably he'll have to drop the poetry and make with the policy.) Hillary Clinton also agrees with me, which makes me feel kinda icky inside.

Meanwhile, John McCain most-definately disagrees with me; which is dissapointing but entirely unsurprising and not really enough to make me seriously reconsider my position. No, when Bob takes a political stance generally the only thing that can shake his resolve is to have a beautiful woman try to talk him out of it. I'm proud to say this is only effective about 96% of the time. So, on that note, here's Angelina Jolie's Washington Post article, in which the erstwhile star of "Tomb Raider" argues on behalf of extending U.S. Military presence in Iraq:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/27/AR2008022702217.html

No, really. Angelina Jolie. And I even checked: Up is still up, and Hell is apparently pretty humid. This DOES help to explain that flying pig from earlier, though.

Now, someone help me out here. I can't decide which of these three new revelations is more confounding:

A globe-trotting "world citizen" from Hollywood generally seen as an icon of the "decadent liberal culture" so-called conservatives love to hate who's currently working with the United Nations giving something close to a thumbs-up to the military policy of a Republican president and his potential successor...

The fact that most of the actual full-on U.N. personel usually can't screw in a lightbulb without touching off a wave of corruption charges, bribery scandals and mismanagement.... but a pregnant lady who kinda does this job part-time in between a dozen other altruistic enterprises and making movies can go into a literal war zone, meet-with and provide a detailed report on every major player in the situation and emerge without even an "oops, I tripped on some rubble" issue...

OR the somewhat worrisome notion that the female lead from "Hackers" here argues this case more compellingly and with infinitely greater detail and reasoning than the President of the United States has been able to for SEVEN YEARS. Again, I'm not saying I'm changing my mind on this, but it IS the first time I've heard the opposing point argued this well outside of agenda-driven (and therefore largely untrustworthy) editorial mags.

So... that happened. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a bunker I need to get to before the dogs and cats start living together.

It's Time. Warner Swallows New Line!

** UPDATE: Both Shaye and Lynne are leaving Time/Warner. Again, I am not surprised.

As I suspected, Time/Warner has dropped the gauntlet and it was more than only a massive reorg, but rather a complete ingestion. Reported by Variety today, New Line has been dissolved. It is unknown what Bob Shaye will be doing or not doing with the company.

Further, there is no word on what this does to appease the lawsuit with the Tolkien Trust regarding LOTRs revenue sharing. Hopefully this is cleared up fast so that "The Hobbit" may proceed! In 3D of course.

Farrelly Brothers to shoot "The Three Stooges" in 3D?

Well this is very interesting! After other failed attempts to resurrect the hallowed halls of Stoogedom - 3D is coming to the rescue of the trio of trouble.

Apparently the Farrelly brothers will be shooting the movie after they finish "Hall Pass" which incidentally may soon have Sacha Baron Cohen attached if they have their way. They are also looking at Elizabeth Banks to play one the "Hall Pass" wives who decides that if their husbands can't control themselves, then they should be free to cavort too.

The Farrelly's would shoot "The Three Stooges" in 3D in Rhode Island - no detail on dates yet.

Now this would be an experience! I was also thinking how much fun it would be to see the old 2D black and whites converted to 3D. If anybody could pull off this caper it would be the Farrellys. They can make me weep with laughter.

Source: The Boston Globe

Not dead, Oscars and Hillary Clinton

Yegh. Another week I just kinda forget to post anything. It happens.

Here's the thing: The bloggers who update constantly tend to either be doing in professionally or have jobs where they're at their PC most of the day to begin with. Myself? Not so much. Can't blog from work, not getting paid to do this, so there really are times when I just can't get up the energy to type up a post. Part of this is also just personal preference; I'd prefer this not to be a "Hi, me again, fed the cat, nothing going on" blog because that leads to page after page of nonsense pushing the more in-depth posts/videos off the page too fast.

So, then... The Oscars happened. Not a lot of surprises. Stewart was great. Ratings down again, unsurprising since the nominees were all smaller-release films for the most part.

What else happened... oh, yeah, this:



I bring this up mainly because watching it I realized that this is the first time in my LIFE I've ever actually come close to liking Hillary Clinton. I DON'T like her, I stress. In fact I consider her a fairly reprehensible creature. But in the decade-plus of being aware of her, this bit of business making fun of Barack Obama's cheezy "yes we can!" stump speeches is the only time I've ever nodded along and said "yes, exactly."

(Full disclosure: I'm a registered Independent, will likely go for John McCain because he's politically moderate and the most experienced person likely to run. Could never vote for Hillary, as she strikes me as evil. I like Obama, lame student-council-treasurer style speeches excepted, but I've already done eight years under a wholly-inexperienced president who coasted in on folksy likability so... no thanks. 4 to 8 years from now when he runs again? Different story. He'll probably be a formidable political force by then, and maybe he'll have dropped the starry-eyed tent-revival B.S. too)

Here's the thing, though: I think the witch is absolutely spot-on right here, but this was a BAD move. You NEVER make fun of a popular speech by your opponent, because what you're really mocking isn't him - it's the people who LIKE him. Now, yeah... I happen to think the kids who're actually getting legitimately misty and moved over Obama's grade-school self-esteem-building exercises could USE a little "gimme a break" bop on the noggin... but she needs these them to turn around and vote for HER. Horrible, horrible move and a real sign of desperation.

And yet she's STILL got a 50% chance of winning, because it's WHOLLY possible for her and Bill to engineer a good old-fashioned smoky-backroom super-delegate deal at the convention. Yeah, it'll tear the guts out of the Democrats as a party, inflame American racial tensions in a way not seen since Rodney King and likely disillusion an entire generation of young voters who got swept up in Obamania for ten years or more. It's the Clintons. You think they WOULDN'T do all that for their own gain?

In the Works: "Step Up 3-D" - Disney to Dance in 3D!

For all of you "Step Up" fans, due to the outstanding success of the franchise (Step Up 2 cost only cost $20m to make and made $28m it's first 5 days) Disney will be calling on 3D to bring us closer to all the action.

Jon Chu (Step Up 2) is in negotiations to direct the movie. Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot of Offspring Entertainment will head the development of it. No dates set yet.

While I am not really a fan of these dance movies, I haven't really given them a chance yet either. Now I will. I will definitely check this one out when it hits theaters!

New Outlander Production Stills Online! Promo Reel at Berlin Film Festival...

Well I am pleased that production stills are finally available from the Berlin Film Festival for "Outlander", the viking meets alien Sci-Fi movie that I have been posting about for over a year now. I am a background actor in this movie so you will have to put up with me commenting on it even though it is NOT IN 3D.

I loved my time on the set and it seems now is the time to enjoy the fruits of everyone's labor. The production of Outlander is by Barry Osbourne (Matrix and LOTRs) and the The Weinstein Company is distributing in North America. The movie stars Jim Caviezel, Sophia Myles, John Hurt and Ron Perlman oh and Jim Dorey! :-)

No word on exact release date yet, but it is fast approaching!

**SPOILER ALERT ** Moorwen monster shown below!

Looks awesome! Can't wait. Remember to look for the 6'6" viking running around with his pants falling down (that would be me!)

Google Talk Chatback Enabled !

Hey guys - thought I would add a brand new spankin' piece of functionality to the blog. It's called Google Talk Chatback and you can implement for your own site here. I think it is a great idea - so if I am available when you visit - drop me a quick instant message and I'll see if I can't have something witty to say :-)



Of course if I get a bunch of spam or anti-3D types then maybe I will change my mind, but I doubt it - the calibre of MarketSaw readers is way beyond such childish actions, right? Of course.

Scarlet 2K Pocket Pro Trademarked!

As I suspected in an earlier post, RED has trademarked the name "Scarlet 2K Pocket Pro" which obviously means that the new pocket sized digital high definition camera from RED will be capable of 2K resolution! In your POCKET!? Can you imagine that? Speculation is that you will be able to add a 16mm lens too.

And knowing RED the price will be so affordable (I am musing $3k to $4k) that many will be able to buy it for day to day use. We will all know soon enough, it is being formally announced at NAB 2008. The only reason why we know early is that Jim Jannard, RED's CEO let the cat out of the bag in their forums as there were some leaks taking place.

For those catching up, the Scarlet is coming from the creator of the RED One, an affordable ($18k) 4K professional digital camera used by such directors as Peter Jackson and Steven Soderbergh. The RED One has been tested and used in 3D configuration as well. For more info check out there website: www.red.com

Beowulf Available on DVD February 26th!

FYI - Beowulf is available on DVD and *cough* HD DVD starting tomorrow, Feb. 26th. You can order the unrated directors cut from Amazon here.

-OR- order it from Amazon's Unbox downloads:



Here is one of the Restricted trailers for the movie:



Note that the movie is not available in 3D for home entertainment as of yet. Look for 3D compatibility in the next year to two years. It is coming, believe me. It is still an awesome story and well worth the purchase.

New Photo of U2 Wearing RealD Glasses Custom Designed by Bono: Jameson Dublin U23D Premiere

You can click on the image to enlarge it. Clayton looks a little tipsy - but those glasses look damn good! Nice design Bono.


Time to check these guys out in RealD - I have already seen "U2 3D" in IMAX when it was initially released but now that the wide release is happening... Well, let's just say the movie deserves AT LEAST two viewings. I don't often say that.

Thanks for the image Gina! Send 'em if ya got 'em!!

"Final Destination 4" Extras Casting Call in New Orleans

Interested in being in a cool 3D movie? Traveling to or live near New Orleans? Check this out:

Reply to: fd4casting@yahoo.com
Date: 2008-02-22, 12:27PM CST

Attention all those interested in movies! We are holding a casting call for extras for the major motion picture Final Destination 4. Anyone is welcome to come and sign up! We are looking for all types of people.

Here are the details:

When: SATURDAY MARCH 1st
Time: 11am-3pm
Where: CLEARVIEW MALL (CENTER MALL PAVILLION)
What: Just bring your smiling face and a recent photo! (if you have one)

Please call us if you have any questions! 504.593.1676

Can't make it to the casting? We want to see you anyway! Please send the following information to fd4casting@yahoo.com :

Name, Age, Height, Weight, Contact Phone Number, Recent photo!

• Compensation: all extras positions are PAID positions
• Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
• Phone calls about this job are ok.
• Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

Hey - good luck if you get into it! Background acting can be a lot of fun; I did it in the upcoming viking movie "Outlander" starring Jim Caviezel, John Hurt and Ron Perlman and it was a ton of fun. This one is in 3D though so all the better!

Mid-Show Theories

Yikes, I am doing horrible with my predictions but a couple things come to mind. Namely, Ethan and Joel Coen's acceptance speech for Best Adapted Screenplay was extremely short. Perhaps the brothers know for a fact that they'll be back onstage later in the night? I mean, after all, the Academy went out of their way to produce that little ditty about how secrets the results are, as if we didn't already think that. Also, does No Country losing in both sound categories signal a kink in its armor. Now that the Coens and Bardem have gotten their just desserts, is it possible we won't be hearing from the No Country boys the rest of the night? Can't believe Marion Cotillard just won. Good for her. She's beautiful. Poor Linney though. Hopefully one of these days...

OUTTAKES #006

The flu is rampant in my house right now, so no heavy blogging for the moment. Instead, you get more cartoons.

"U2 3D" Solves Vertigo: Box Office Up 242% !

Finally, Hannah Montana is starting to subside for all you U2 fans out there. While "U2 3D" is now listed as showing in 686 3D theaters, it's per screen revenue is going to be lower than previous weeks because it is still SHARING most of these screens with Hannah Montana which dropped slightly to 613 3D screens on Friday.

So you should see declining box office for Hannah Montana right away due to audience drop off AND fewer showings - and the exact opposite for U2 3D.

In fact U2 3D is up 242%. Check it out! You will NOT be disappointed. Awesome experience.

Digg This!

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars", "Monsters vs. Aliens", "Journey To The Center of the Earth 3D" & "Fly Me To The Moon" Sneak 3D Previews at ShoWest !!

Jeffrey Katzenberg is going to be giving the audience at ShoWest 2008 an advance sneak peak of 2009's "Monster vs. Aliens" during his Opening Day Welcome Remarks. It will be presented with RealD 3D technology. Katzenberg will begin his speech at 9:15am, Tuesday, March 11th 2008.

Summit Entertainment is also giving attendees a sneak 3D preview of this year's "Fly Me To The Moon" on a first come - first served basis at the Jubilee Theater, Bally's Hotel. There will be two presentations - one at 11am and another at 11:45am on Wednesday, March 12th. The movie will be in wide 3D release on August 22nd. Dolby 3D will be used for these screenings.

New Line Cinema & Walden Media are giving ShoWest patrons an FULL advance screening of "Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D". There will be two screenings - one at 3:45pm (Jubilee Theater, Bally's Hotel) and the second at 4:15pm (Le Theatre Des Arts, Paris Hotel), both on Wednesday, March 12th. The movie is pegged for a July 11th wide release in 3D theaters. RealD 3D technology will be used for the presentations. Expect an appearance by Brendan Frasier there as he is also picking up the "Distinguished Decade of Achievement in Film" award at 6:30pm later that day.

**UPDATE: Variety has posted a correction that "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" will NOT be in stereographic 3D. Needless to say I will be watching them much closer now before I post them as being gospel. Now I have to change half a dozen things on the blog, along with being very disappointed.
As part of a group exclusive footage presentation of several Warner properties including "The Dark Knight", "Get Smart" and "Speed Racer", Warner Bros. Pictures is presenting a sneak peak at "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" which is a 3D movie slated for an August 15th wide release. The screenings will both happen at 2:45pm at Le Theatre Des Arts, Paris Hotel and the Jubilee Theater, Bally's Hotel on Thursday, March 13th.

ShoWest is at Bally's and Paris in Las Vegas from March 10th to 13th.

Umm, damn. Wish I was going! What a lineup... Can't wait for the reviews!!

Final Destination 4: Finally Cast

The upcoming 3D splatter movie "Final Destination 4" has been cast. Much interest was generated in this process due to some of the auditions being posted online (you can view them here). The final cast members are: Shantel VanSanten, Bobby Campo, Hayley Webb, Nick Zano, Krista Allen and Andy Fiscella.

The movie starts shooting in New Orleans this month. As posted earlier, the plot centers on a race car crash that sends huge car parts into a watching grandstand full of people. The movie is being directed by David R. Ellis for release in 2009.

I am really looking forward to seeing this actually. The premise has been proven to work, and by throwing in 3D I expect to be thoroughly shocked with some of the ingenious ways for these characters to met their demise. Once in awhile you just have to let go don't ya??

Real D Brings "U2 3D" Home To Dublin

RealD announced yesterday that they had brought the 3D concert movie "U2 3D" home to Dublin; the band originated from that wonderful Irish city. The movie made its European premiere at Parnell Street's Cineworld on the 20th as part of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival. Echoing the Sundance premiere, the band showed up in their RealD 3D glasses, customized this time though - as they were designed by Bono - and all the fans who attended also landed these! If there is anyone in the world who knows cool shades - its Bono.

With the Hannah Montana craze dying down now from a frenzy to mere chaos, "U2 3D" should be in wide release very shortly. Some Real D engagements have already started in North America after its January limited run. If you have not seen "U2 3D" yet, seriously consider it. You can check out more details about the movie as an event from my Facebook group: 3D Movies and Technology. Thanks Gina for bringing this to my attention!

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Final OSCAR Predictions

Best Picture
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

SHOULD WIN: There Will Be Blood
WILL WIN: No Country for... WAIT A SECOND! Do I really want to be the umpteenth person to predict the boring 'Old' front-runner? Hell, no! The InSneider doesn't play it safe and since it seems like all you have to do to get linked to on the overwhelming glut of Oscar blogs is go against the tide, I'm going with.... ATONEMENT. That's right people. The original front-runner is bound to rear its ugly head in at least one category on Oscar night so why not the top prize? Think about it. The Academy is heavily male but I can't ignore the ladies, as much as they might ignore me. Now some folks think that the female vote is exactl what could propel Juno to the podium at the end of the night but that theory gives me pregnant pause. The backlash exists, people! And the Academy is not comprised of teenage girls, but strong, intelligent women who might favor the period romance. I mean, there has to be some reason that Atonement snuck into the field ahead of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Into the Wild and Sweeney Todd. The BAFTA's ( I know, I know) proved the support is there, and the male vote is bound to be split between NCfOM and TWBB. As big a hit as Juno has been at the box office, I can't see anyone, even the film's staunchest supporters, really checking off that box and naming Juno the Best Picture of the Year. It's just an inconceivable scenario to me. Could Clooney's Clayton cold-clock the Coens? Yes, but that movie doesn't really feel like a Best Picture either. So if there are only three possibly movies I can actually see winning the grand prize, and two of them will likely split the vote, then that leaves Atonement standing tall. Plus Oscar loves those one-word titles. Think: Gandhi, Amadeus, Platoon, Unforgiven, Braveheart, Titanic, Gladiator, Chicago, Crash.

BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Jason Reitman, Juno
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

SHOULD WIN: Schnabel
WILL WIN: The Coens. I predict this will be the only award of the night for the Coen brothers and as such, it will be considered their consolation prize for making a movie that was thisclose to being a masterpiece before it overreached with a heavy-handed, confusing and confounding ending. Reitman doesn't belong here and should be happy to be nominated. I see Gilroy and PTA being rewarded in other categories (as you'll see below) and Schnabel, well, he gets the shaft here. The Coens have to win something and this will be it.

BEST ACTOR
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
4 Other Dudes from Movies not as good as There Will Be Blood

SHOULD WIN, WILL WIN, CAN'T LOSE: Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
And Clooney's ride home, or to Dan Tana's, will be silent, just like the end of Michael Clayton, unless of course chatterbox Tony Gilroy is in the same limo.

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie, Away From Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en rose
Laura Linney, The Savages
Ellen Page, Juno

SHOULD WIN: Linney
WILL WIN: Christie
People are getting sick of the little moppet named Ellen Page. Blanchett's movie wasn't any good. I doubt a foreign-language performance is capable of winning. And while Linney has an excellent body of work and the respect of the entire industry, Searchlight pretty much conceded this award early on by not making a big enough push for The Savages. That leaves Christie, the epitome of what an Oscar nominee should be. She didn't campaign for the award and she wasn't seemingly everywhere at once like Little Miss Juno. It's a last hurrah for her career and she'll go out on top.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
4 Other Dudes from Movies not as good as No Country for Old Men

SHOULD WIN, WILL WIN, CAN'T LOSE: Bardem, for creating an iconic cinematic villain. This is one category where you can't stop what's coming. Now watch all the live-bloggers out there scramble to write how Bardem's win at the beginning of the night signals a possible No Country sweep. I think this year has some surprises in store and it'll be quite the opposite. This could be the only award No Country takes. I might winding up sounding like an idiot a few days from now but someone has to take a risk, right?

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Ruby Dee, American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

SHOULD WIN: Blanchett
WILL WIN: Blanchett
This is essentially a two-woman race between Blanchett and Swinton. Ronan is too young and Dee is too old, not to mention she was in the movie for 5 whole minutes and no one walked out of AG talking about her performance. Ryan was the popular pick a few months back but I think her campaign peaked at the wrong time while Swinton has really come on strong as of late. This could be where the Academy rewards Michael Clayton but Blanchett's performance is much more technically accomplished, I don't think it matters that she's already won this award before for The Aviator. I'm Not There was a bit of a mish-mash (though it exceeded my expectations) but I think the Weinsteins helped her with that 45-minute highlight reel they packaged with Variety, and in the end, she really is quite the cross-gender chameleon. Frankly, Swinton has been better before (see The Deep End for proof) and strong as she is in Clayton, she was overshadowed by Clooney, Wilkinson and yes, even Sydney Pollack.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Diablo Cody, Juno
Nancy Oliver, Lars and the Real Girl
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Brad Bird, Ratatouille
Tamara Jenkins, The Savages

SHOULD WIN: Bird
WILL WIN: Gilroy
Everyone says El Diablo has this one in the bag but I wouldn't be so sure. The Juno script had heart but it also had a lot of annoying one-liners that felt more appropriate for a low-grade sitcom. Clayton, on the other hand, was a first-rate legal thriller that was deceptively smart, if not a tad dull. Sure it plays like a Grisham adaptation but people really admire how Gilroy's film harkens back to the conspiracy films of the 70's and they could choose to reward him in this category, since he's better known as a writer than a director. For the record though, I think Juno and Clayton are the worst two scripts out of this bunch, but we know Jenkins and Oliver really stand no shot, and Bird will get his in the animation category.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Christopher Hampton, Atonement
Sarah Polley, Away From Her
Ronald Harwood, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood

SHOULD WIN: Harwood
WILL WIN: Anderson
My guess is as good as ours. Honestly, my head tells me that Anderson has the 3rd best chance of winning this one but I can't give it to the Coens, despite them taking WGA and Scripter honors. Big whoop! Their adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel was fairly straight-forward and I still feel like audiences will be pissed they were denied any kind of satisfactory resolution. Harwood is a solid bet, seeing as he tackled the toughest assignment and came up with the idea of shooting from Jean-Do's point of view, plus he already overcame crazy odds a few years back when he surprised everyone with his win for The Pianist. That said, There Will Be Oscar for PTA, and if his film doesn't win Best Picture and the Coens steal Best Director, this is what he'll wind up with for making one of the best films this side of 2000. His adaptation of Upton Sinclair's Oil! was much more creative than the Coens and his abominable creation, Daniel Plainview, is one of the most despicable characters in the history of cinema, ensuring that he'll stay in our minds long after this year's ceremony.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Deakins, The Assassination of Jesse James...
Seamus McGarvey, Atonement
Janusz Kaminski, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Roger Deakins, No Country for Old Men
Robert Elswit, There Will Be Blood

SHOULD WIN: Kaminski
WILL WIN: Kaminski
Another incredibly difficult category to call. It seems like Deakins' year but Kaminski's camerawork was integral to the storytelling. The guy's an old pro and if the Academy is looking for fresh 'blood' than I think Elswit stands the best shot. Deakins' work in Jesse James was superior to No Country as well, and his double nomination might wind up costing him the statue. McGarvey's eight-minute tracking shot of Dunkirk is widely admired but I thought it was completely pointless and I doubt I'm alone in that assessment. If the work speaks for itself, Kaminski should prepare his acceptance speech for his brilliant work on Diving Bell.

more coming...

OUTTAKES #005

Happy Lent to all our overburdened clergy out there.

G-Force and Alice in Wonderland Get Dates From Disney!

The best 3D movie list of rumored, planned, in production and in theaters has been updated yet again - nothing new here, I do it probably 4 or 5 times a week. However there are a couple of important dates being added:

1. Disney's "G-Force" (Jerry Bruckheimer) has been set for July 24th, 2009 - Its a 3D movie with mixed Live Action and Animation and voices by Penelope Cruz, Nicolas Cage, Steve Buscemi, Bill Nighy and Tracy Morgan. The story revolves around an elite guinea pig commando force try to stop a billionaire from taking over the world. :-)

2. Disney's "Alice in Wonderland" (Tim Burton) has been set for a March 19th, 2010 release date. I believe you are familiar with the plot for this one...

Check out all the new 3D movies lining up here!

Coraline 3D Trailer Now Available Online

**UPDATE (Feb 21st): My apologies - the originating source stated that this trailer is in 3D and of course it cannot be polarized as it would need to have a 3D system like a theater would have. It does not even appear to be in anaglyph 3D (red and cyan glasses). Enjoy it anyway! It is much clearer than the older hand held camcorder one.

Guys - here is the new Coraline 3D trailer and if you have got 3D polarized glasses - USE 'EM! It is much clearer than the hand held camcorder version that I posted back on January 16th. Check it out. Thanks for the heads-up Andrea.

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More on Avatar: Weaver Speaks!

Now I enjoyed this interview much better! Sigourney Weaver is of course starring in James Cameron's "Avatar" and she speaks with Premiere magazine about her experiences there. I will skip straight to the Avatar related material for you:

How much screentime will you have in Avatar? Would you describe your part there as a supporting role?
No, I have the female lead. You know, live action. I guess I would have to say that Sam and Zoe play the romantic leads, but I probably have the next biggest, or as big a part.

Has Jim mellowed any? Is that possible?
I think, you know, he gets impatient trying to get his ideas across to people, but I think he's very mellowed. He was always a sweetheart. [She responds to my raised-eyebrow look] He really was always a sweetheart! He can get impatient with people. I think as long as you don't take it personally... so that hasn't changed. And he always puts so much on himself — in this case, he invented the cameras, he did the sets, he designed the guns, he designed a lot of the creatures that are going to be in this other world — it's all from his head. He's operating the camera. Because people can't read his mind, that makes him a little impatient. I think, considering what he's taken on, he's quite angelic, actually.

Did you guys spend a lot of time talking about the old days, or was it down to business?
Well, it's both. We're very fond of each other because that was quite an experience in itself. So there definitely is a happy vibe working together and then we do try to get on with it. I mean, he created a wonderful character for me. She's a lot like him — she's very impatient, she's very driven, she's got a big heart, she's very complicated and you see very different people in the human world and in the avatar world. It's a fantastic canvas for me to paint on — it's certainly not a supporting role in any way.

Has he let you read the whole Avatar script? Is he keeping it to himself?
Oh no, I've read the whole script.

What would you compare it to?
I can't think of anything, frankly. I can't think of anything. It's gonna blow the mind of this industry, I think. It's gonna be an experience for people. I don't think they're going to want to come out of the theater. I think kids will want to stay in the theater with their sleeping bags so they don't have to go out into the real world. It's about something. It's about ecology in a lot of ways. About greed.

Imperialism?
Yeah. About love. About becoming a man. You know, a lot of his favorite themes. It's a very dense piece of work. I've only seen the motion-capture 40 percent done, but it's pretty awesome. The live action I've seen almost all of, and it's a very affecting story. When you see scenes that are very affecting in 3D, you can't keep them out.

The movie isn't slated for release until December '09, but it sounds like you've seen a lot of completed work. I imagined it was mostly not done yet.
Oh, it is mostly not done yet. I saw something someone else had edited of my scenes. For some reason, they wanted me to see most of my scenes before I left, so I was forced to do that. I think he's very proud of how it's going. Then I got to see certain scenes that are in the script at Weta, when I was over there talking to the animators about Grace, my character. They're just doing a fabulous job. Everyone is going to want to go to this place.

What does Grace look like, by the way?
She's got beautiful, bright red hair and big eyelashes. No make-up. She's a scientist, and she's an attractive woman who has given up a normal life to devote herself to this planet and fight this fight. She learns a lot over the course of the story.

So there ya go - more information than we had before! Grace has red hair and no make-up. Well at least we learned something, officially anyway!

James Cameron Speaks. Well, kinda...

Cameron sent an email to AICN and told them that the recent poster artwork is fake. Oh and he also said that they have just about finished shooting too. And there might be some callbacks.

Unfortunately, the communication didn't really give us anything new and I found it to be quite honestly boring - really. I had already posted LAST WEEK that they will be finishing principle shortly. We had already mused whether or not the artwork was fake or not YESTERDAY. Callbacks? Happens all the time. Zzzzzzzzzzz.

AICN has to start using that email addy to their advantage! Ask some probing questions about things that really matter like what the budget will finally be (AICN is still saying $200 mil even well you damn well know that its going to be a heckuva lot more with 6 more months of Weta and lighting rendering that I posted about here) or something else that is, well... COOL.

Oh well. I shall just endeavor to get that elusive email addy myself. Just a matter of time Jim. Talk soon my friend :-)

GAME OVERTHINKER: EPISODE TWO

(Side-note: Happy Birthday to me.)

I was happy enough with the way the first "Game OverThinker" video turned out I dove right into number two, so here it is. Just don't take this as some indicator of how regularly these will be up... the first two subjects were issues/ideas that I've been chewing on for awhile so they were realized pretty quick - if I opt to tackle something that requires more (read: ANY) research or deeper consideration it'll probably take longer.

In any case, Episode 2 here falls under the needlessly-pretentious title of "Super Mario and The Sacred Feminine." If you only listen to one 9 minute 55 second clip of a video-game addicted Movie Geek pontificating about post-feminist sexual politics and gender roles in gaming, the notion of neo-pagan Goddess themes in the Mario series plus a brief aside about Japan and how the long shadow it casts on game-culture worldwide to this day makes these academic exercises exponentially more complicated, I humbly ask that you make it this one. Enjoy!



Direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iNs5iG2h34