My Video Hell

I am right now (in between other, more decisively-deadlined jobs) hard at work on the next episode of "The Game OverThinker." It MIGHT take a little longer than I wanted it to take, read below to learn why...

Every episode of "Game OverThinker" from the beginning until right now have been made entirely using two programs - one for manipulating images, one for arranging and editing video files - made by the same Very Famous Software Company. I won't use their name here because it's still slightly plausible that the problem might be my doing (not looking likely), but let's just say they are Very Famous and are named after a type of building material.

ANYWAY!

I've spent about a full week (in total hours) shooting footage and building FX for the ending sequence of this next TGO episode (the middle part I'm doing last so everyone can get their "Ask Ivan" questions in) and have managed to finally this afternoon cut it together into proper format. It's a complicated sequence - one actor playing about a dozen characters via greenscreen with a lot of effects and sound elements - but also a short one, not even five minutes in length.

The "Media Encoder" that Very Famous Software Company's video-editing software allows as it's SOLE option for exporting those elements as one solid video file refuses to complete that task - constantly crashing a few seconds through the timeline with no available description of what's causing the crash or what can be done to fix it. My assumption is "too many elements," but A.) I cannot be certain because this is apparently 1983 where it's still "okay" for software to give error messages with no troubleshooting and B.) for the amount of fucking money these programs cost (seriously, figure out who I'm talking about and look up how much they ask for their products) this should NOT be an issue... especially for less than five minutes of footage not even in HD.

Now, normally, this is something you'd fix by calling a customer service person. Oh! But, you see, Very Famous Software Company doesn't have reps available "overnight" (because, as we all know, if people with jobs that involve the use of high-end video-editing software are known for anything it's for keeping reliable 9 to 5 business hours) ...or even in the evening. Or even on weekends. Apparently I can order a Domino's pizza at 2am but I can't get service for a product I'm paying... egh. You get the idea.

SO! After many hours of self-research (because, y'know, no customer service whatsoever) it seems that a seperate "effects specific" product ALSO made by Very Famous Software Company might handle this sort of project better AND I can just pop the "raw" timeline from it's current place into THAT with little difficult. Okay, cool... granted, it's another HUGE chunk of change and there's no garauntee this is going to fix the problem (sure would be nice to talk to a fucking customer service person about that, huh!?,) but it's something...

Wait! Wait! Very Famous Software Company knows their products are expensive, so they graciously offer downloads for FREE TRIALS on their website! Well, that's good news! So I go to download it, and instead of just downloading immediately via that little "do you want to download ______?" window like every other website on the fucking planet it instead asks me to install Very Famous Software Company's PROPRIETARY downloading service (which requires a login ID) onto my system. Of course it does, it's Very Famous Software Company. So I download the proprietary service that I need to download the free trial... and it won't work. Error message after error message. There is nothing wrong with my internet service. More error messages.

I have other priorities to get to at that point, so I set about those while periodically trying to make this proprietary downloading service work. Several hours later, my work is done and the download service still doesn't work.

But wait! There's another option! Very Famous Software Company offers a "Cloud" service whereby you pay a monthly fee and get to use various versions of their products... which includes the trial you've been trying to download! Hurray! And there's even a free trial of the "Cloud" service itself - double hurray!

...except once I've signed up for the "Cloud" trial, I don't see the option on it's "Apps Menu" for the product I signed up to gain access to. It turns out that the "free" trial of the product I signed up for is ONLY available through the paid version of the "Cloud" service. Of course it is. It's Very Famous Software Company.

I'm angry at this point. Like, Incredible Hulk angry. My Twitter looks like the private diary of an intern for the Romney campaign. Just burning up with hatred for Very Famous Software Company, their products, my inarguable professional need to keep using their products and most of all for the fact that once again something I was actually really enjoying doing (I honestly love doing what I do on this show, and this sequence was coming together spectacularly) has now been drained of it's joy and may even need to be scrapped altogether because of all this. I work hard on this stuff, and the parts of it that are fun are often the ONLY fun I really get for days on end.

So... fine, fuck it. It's only money. I sign up for a month's worth of paid "Cloud" service. The level I paid at lets me have full access to ONE product. I pick the one I came looking for a 4th of a DAY ago. They process the transaction. It goes through. The "order summary" pops up with a big button for "DOWNLOAD." I click it...

..."DOWNLOAD" takes me back to that same useless "Apps" menu on the "Cloud" service. The option that I'm looking for, that've now paid them to let me use for a MONTH... is not there. I sign out. I refresh. I sign back in. Try again. No change. My account, billing summary, email reciepts, etc show that I paid to be able to download this and it's not letting me download it.

And there's NOTHING I can do about that tonight. Or tomorrow. Or until Monday. Even though that means two days out of 30 that I've paid for will now be wasted.

Because I can't call their service line and ask why I am not able to access and use this product because Very Famous Software Company cannot be bothered to have a customer service line available on evenings or weekends.

Because, apparently, it is acceptable for a software company that operates a Cloud-based download management service that caters specifically to people who need constant, ready access to products and material to run their customer service on fucking BANKER'S HOURS. ...Oh! Except that term is no longer accurate, because I can call my bank 24 hours a FUCKING day.

The sun is about to come up here, and I'm fucking done for the night. The lone "upside" to this nightmare is that this is, fortunately, NOT happening to a show/project with a contractual deadline - if it was, I'd be losing my mind for real right now.

I'm telling myself it might just be some kind of service delay and I'll be able to access it tomorrow, but I know that's bullshit. I know I'm going to spend monday morning/afternoon on the phone with Very Famous Software Company working this out, either getting the trial that I paid for actually downloaded or at least getting my money back... money which will then go into the fund for the many, many hundreds of dollars I'll be spending to buy either a better computer (who knows, maybe this heap just isn't "strong enough" to render that biiiiiig scaaaaaary 4 1/2 minutes of video!) or to buy the full version of this Very Famous Software Company's "Effects" program because apparently it'll help and I'll be damned if all this work I've already done go to waste.

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA Sends Bruce Willis For A Loop!

Sony Pictures is enjoying a one - two punch at the box office this weekend with their new animation HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA (HT) taking top spot. By a lot.

HT is looking at a potential $40 million weekend! I've liked the trailers leading up to it so I'm not all that surprised. I thought LOOPER would do a bit more and at least challenge, but it's not. A solid $6.9 million on Friday, but not enough to hold off HT with $11 million.

I expect to see HT keep up the momentum throughout the weekend and probably hit north of $40 m.

60th San Sebastian Film Festival Award Winners

With a good awards ceremony, San Sebastian closes this year. The most emotional moment was when Dustin Hoffman received the Donostia award, not only for the movie clips but also for his speech.

Great films won awards. Good.

Official Selection

Golden Shell for Best Film: Dans La Maison (In The House), François Ozon, France

Special Jury Prize: Blancanieves (Snow White), Pablo Berger, Spain and France
Special Mention: The Attack, Ziad Doueiri and Joelle Touma, Lebanon, France, Qatar, Belgium

Silver Shell for Best Director: Fernando Trueba for El Artista y La Modelo, Spain

Silver Shell for Best Actress: (tie)
Katie Coseni in Foxfire, Laurent Cantet, France and Canada
Macarena García in Blancanieves (Snow White), Pablo Berger, Spain and France

Silver Shell for Best Actor: Jose Sacristan in El Muerto y Ser Feliz (The Dead Man and Being Happy), Javier Rebollo, Spain, Argentina and France

Jury Prize for Best Cinematography: Fasle Kargadan (Rhino Season), Bahman Ghobadi, Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan
Jury Prize for Best Screenplayer: Dans La Maison (In The House), François Ozon, France

Zabaltegi-New Directors

Kusta-New Directors Award: Fernando Guzzoni for Carne de Perro (Dog Flesh), Chile, France and Germany
Special Mentions:
Parviz, Majid Barzegar, Iran
El Limpiador (The Cleaner), Adrián Saba, Peru

Horizontes Latinos

Best Film: El Ultimo Elvis, Armando Bo, Argentina and USA
Special Mentions:
Era Uma Vez Eu, Veronica (Once Upon A Time Was I, Veronica), Marcelo Gomes, Brasil
Despues de Lucia, Michel Franco, Mexico

Other Awards

FIPRESCI Award: El Muerto y Ser Feliz (The Dead Man and Being Happy), Javier Rebollo, Spain, Argentina and France
SIGNIS Award: Días de Pesca (Gone Fishing), Carlos Sorin, Argentina
Solidarity Award: Le Capital (Capital), Costa Gravas, France
Serbitzu Saria for Best Basque Film: Pura Vida, Pablo Iraburu y Migueltxo Molina, Spain
SEBASTIANE Award: Joven y Alocada (Young and Wild), Marialy Rivas, Chile
Euskatel Youth Award: 7 Cajas (7 Boxes), Juan Carlos Maeglia and Tana Schémbori, Paraguay

TVE - Another Look Award: Shesh Peamin (Six Acts), Jonathan Gurfinkel, Israel
Special mention: The Attack, Ziad Doueiri, Lebanon, France, Qatar and Belgium

Films in Progress Award: Gloria, Sebastián Lelio, Chile
Norteado Award: Tanta Agua, Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge, Uruguay, Mexico, Netherlands

Cinema in Motion Awards
Le Veau D'Or (The Golden Calf), Hassan Legzouli, France and Morocco
Moug (Waves), Ahmed Nour, Egypt and Morocco

Audience Award: The Sessions, Ben Lewin, USA
European Film Audience Award: The Angel's Share, Ken Loach, UK, France, Belgium and Italy

International Film Student Meetings Awards - Short Films
Panavision Award: The Mass of Men, Gabriel Gauchet, UK, National Film and TV School
Freak Independent Film Agency Award: The Mass of Men, Gabriel Gauchet, UK, National Film and TV School
Participation in the Short Film Corner at Cannes Festival
The Mass of Men, Gabriel Gauchet, UK, National Film and TV School
Wedding Duet, Goran MIhailov, Romania, Universitatea Nationala de Arta Teatrala si Cinematografica“I.L. Caragiale
I Think This Is The Closest to How the Footage Looked, Yuval Hameiri and Michal Vaknin, Israel, Tel Aviv University

To check info about each movie go here and/or check home page at fest official page.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 Secures Garfield And Webb; Stone In Talks!

Wonderful news! The best Spider-man / Peter Parker actor (in my opinion) has been re-inked to headline THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 for Columbia. Andrew Garfield, who at the same moment can be bashful and timid but yet ooze new found power has been secured. Hey - that DOES sounds like Peter Parker.

Further and perhaps just as important, Marc Webb ((500) DAYS OF SUMMER) has also been tapped to return as director. It looks like he'll direct the sequel before having to go back to Fox Searchlight to finish his commitment with them. Time will tell. I thought that despite the normal studio filter than is placed on creativity, Webb's webhead tale was nicely done. But would I rather see a full blown, unfiltered Webb take for Spidey 2? You bet.

Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jeff Pinker have penned the script so we should expect a solid story yet again, despite different writers. I loved the first movie.

Here's Doug Belgrad, Columbia's president on the re-signing:

"We could not be more confident in the direction we are taking this new Spider-Man storyline and we are tremendously excited to be ramping up production again with Marc at the helm and Andrew continuing on as Peter Parker. We can’t wait to share what we have in store for Peter and Spider-Man with audiences worldwide."

Emma Stone is still in talks to pick up her magnificent turn as Gwen Stacy. I suppose if things turn sour for whatever reason Mary Jane Watson could emerge for the first time, but for heaven's sake sign Stone. She's good for this franchise.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 is slated for a May 2, 2014 release with lensing to commence in Q1, 2013. And after the first one made $751 million, the stakes are high.

Source: Variety

Escape to the Movies: "The Master"

You've heard correctly.

"Intermission" is about the Summer's big surprise hit.

The Escapist : Escape to the Movies : The Master

Bye Bye Blondie

I find films directed by Virginie Despentes quite unpleasant to watch, especially Baise Moi but also Les Jolies Choses which she did not direct, did not wrote the screenplay but was based on her novel. This film is not like those as while still having some very unpleasant moments, definitively she toned down -a lot- from her directorial debut and made film easier to watch.

Most surprising was to find that movie is based on her book with the same name but in book the protagonists are a man and a woman, while in movie are two women. Have no idea why Despentes changed the story but definitively if this was a man/woman story would have been similar to many other stories told in films; what makes story different is that is about two women.

I see everything with Emmanuelle Béart so film was must be seen for me because of her and well, yes because is absolutely with lesbian interest. The bad news is that this film is NOT fantastic Nathalie, did not enjoyed much Béart performance (that's what happens with an inexperienced director) and found story not that much interesting.

Film tells the story of Frances and Gloria who meet when they are teenagers, fall in love, life separates them and when they're older Frances looks for and finds Gloria again. So older Frances is played by Béart and older Gloria by Béatrice Dalle; this couple have no chemistry, their interactions look forced BUT chemistry explodes when they fight, which are the only scenes where I recognized the Béart I enjoy so much.

The good news is that story is not told sequentially as their younger years are told by flashbacks, but what is incredibly good are the performances by Clara Ponsot (teen Frances) and Soko (teen Gloria) as couple not only has good chemistry but somehow their story is a lot more interesting. Just to watch Béart fighting and the younger couple film is worth watching.

Will share a bit more about story. Younger Gloria is punk, which gives permission to play some nice old punk rock and later some retro punk scenes with a famous French punk icon, so she's rebellious and ends up in a psychiatric institution. There is where she meets younger Frances who dares Gloria to have sex with her as is forbidden by the institution. What follows you have to watch, but will share that while watching started to think that story was about two different backgrounds, about love not being enough and I was sure that was what I was seeing until the "shocking" end that absolutely surprised me. In French cinema not often you will see a film ending like this film does.

Found film as a film to be uneven, some scenes have good tech specs while many others don't. I know this is unthinkable/unforgivable in French cinema but for the lesbian interest genre unfortunately is quite common, so know that won't bother at all to those watching because they enjoy the genre.

Having two well-known French actresses in film, Béart and Dalle, plus famous singer Soko, attracted much attention from critics and viewers, but I'm afraid that this film is only suited for lesbian interest audiences that do not mind to see "unusual" French movies. Sigh.

Can't say I did not enjoy film but also cannot say that I enjoy it. I'm lukewarm as after all film looks and feels like a Virginie Despentes film; all right, a slightly improved Despentes.

Enjoy!

Watch trailer @MOC

MUST SEE: Two New Posters - THE HOBBIT And THE CROODS!

Click to enlarge

I love both of these posters! What more can I say about THE HOBBIT? Well how about Peter Jackson nailing the personalities of all those dwarves?

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE opens on December 14.

THE CROODS? Well, this is one project that I've been tracking at Dreamworks Animation since it's inception when it was being written by John Cleese (known then as CROOD AWAKENING). It looks like his writing credit has been taken off so I don't know how much of his ingenious humor has made its way into the 3D animation. Needless to say though, I was very happy to see it's first poster being released. The premise for the movie seems absolutely HILARIOUS!

Here's the storyline for THE CROODS:
The Croods is being written and directed by two-time Academy Award® nominee Chris Sanders (HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, LILO AND STITCH) and Kirk DeMicco (SPACE CHIMPS) and produced by Kristine Belson (HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON) and Jane Hartwell (SHREK). The Croods is a comedy adventure that takes us back to a previously undiscovered era in the history of our planet known as the Croodaceous, when nature was still a work-in-progress… full of never-before- seen creatures and landscapes. Audiences will relate to the hilarious family antics as an imaginative and resourceful newcomer helps the Croods navigate their way through the fantastic world beyond their cave.

THE CROODS open on March 22, 2013 and stars the voices of Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke and Cloris Leachman.

Tanner Hall

Browsing what to watch in my cable, discovered this 2008 produced film that was screened at 2009 Toronto fest, seems went into oblivion until 2011 when had a limited theater release and the DVD came out. Film is co directed by two little-known women, that's it if you are NOT familiar with royalty and/or lesbian celebrities. Tatiana von Furstenberg, better known as Tatiana Desirée Prinzessin zu Fürstenberg, and Francesca Gregorini, better known as Countess Francesca McKnight Donatella Romana Gregorini di Savignano di Romagna or Portia di Rossi's ex, direct and co wrote the film.

All right after the film royal pedigree let me share that I found movie to be quite interesting and surprisingly good, with a few storyline exceptions that were really horrendous. Film is "inspired" by co directors/writers real experiences while being in England boarding schools but has fiction peppered around. Have no idea what is fiction and what is not, but I can guess the storyline that involved Mr. and Mrs. Middlewood has to be fiction, was introduced mainly for comic relief and is absolutely horrendous, not only because casting, actors performances but also because was not credible, realistic. The last becomes more visible as everything else not related exclusively to the Middlewood's looks and feels very real. If all those scenes were deleted, film would have been better.

Film tells the story of four girls at a very upper class New England boarding school and is a slice of their lives that shows crucial moments that changed them forever. Fernanda (Rooney Mara), Victoria (Georgia King), Kate (Brie Larson) and Lucasta (Amy Ferguson) are the four very different personalities girls and this story is interesting, actresses give quite good performances and feels real. Admit that saw film to see Rooney Mara's performance and now I'm quite impressed, the young actress can really act and she's good; so sorry that I had to meet her doing the American version of Lizbeth Salander.

If you enjoy regular girls boarding school movies maybe you will not enjoy this one as definitively film does not look like regular American cinema, this is similar to European cinema and/or European boarding school stories. Film has a lesbian interest character and perhaps those that enjoy the genre could enjoy the storyline that -for a change- has a happy ending.

A good film with some big flaws, but believe could entertain you and if you are like me, unable to appreciate Mara's most famous performance, then give this movie a chance and maybe you will agree that Mara shows here that she's an actress worthy to follow her career.

Enjoy!!

Watch trailer @MOC

"Vamps"

I keep wanting to make the usual joke about whose blood Alicia Silverstone has been bathing in to still look exactly like she did over a decade ago today, and then I remember she actually is playing a vampire in this movie... which I can't make up my mind about: Does this look terrible or weirdly good?

PODCAST 15: Poultrygeist & Suck [Musical Edition]

Join Forest and Cory for their all singing and all dancing, "All Musical" edition of Slaughter Film. Forest continues to share with you his love for Troma as he reviews Poultrygeist and Cory, while all hoped up on energy drinks, argues that Suck doesn't suck.

CONTINUE READING

"South Park" Ribbing

I'm a "South Park" fan, but everyone could use a little dressing down now and then.

Honestly, I whipped this up one night awhile ago and never put it on The Tubes because I didn't think it came out AS cutting or funny as I wanted it to be, overall. But the music I found makes it work out better, I think... but maybe I'm wrong. You tell me...

"Fat Kid Rules The World"

Bullied, overweight kid in Seattle is rescued from suicide by a sketchy slacker, who then decides they should form a punk band. Matthew Lillard directs.

I get the sense that this will be a teenage movie I will actually like. I'm getting the sense that Lillard is turning into an interesting talent again.

Big Picture: "The Prophecy of Freakazoid"

"Red underwear man... PRETTY!"

The Escapist : The Big Picture : The Prophesy of Freakazoid

Must See: New Poster And Image Of Evangeline Lilly As Tauriel In THE HOBBIT

Click to enlarge

Couple of new marketing items for you to have a look at from THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY. A rather cool looking poster featuring Martin Freeman as a rather intent looking Bilbo Baggins and a new image of Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel. Of course Tauriel does not appear in Tolkien's THE HOBBIT, but she appears to be a rather gifted warrior with a bow and arrow in Peter Jackson's take on the material. Think female Legolas and you probably wouldn't be too far off. I think she looks the part, so why not introduce this new role if it helps carry 3 movies somehow more effectively?

Here's the official storyline for the movie:
The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever…Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of ingenuity and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities… A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY opens on December 14.

Sources: Peter Jackson | TORn

Eu când vreau să fluier, fluier (If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle)

Truly amazing film that takes us slowly into an intense study on human reactions to impotence, inability to stop something and how far can we go trying. Took me a while but finally was able to see Florin Serban's 2010 highly acclaimed feature film debut that won the 2010 Berlinale Jury Grand Prix, was Romania submission to Oscar in 2011, and collected many honors in the fest circuit and awards season. Some things are worth waiting for and definitively this film was one of them.

Set in a youth-reformatory tells the story of Silviu (George Pistereanu) last days of sentence where after years of being an exemplary recluse starts to transgress the prison rules thanks to learning that his mother came back from Italy to take his younger brother back with her. Film is set in a prison but in my opinion this is not a prison movie at all, as I believe is used because is a setting that perfectly allows to show a microcosm where due to forceful confinement naturally facilitates impossibilities to do what you wish to do. And that's what exactly happens in film, as Silviu after unsuccessfully trying reasonable ways to help him stop his mother, has to resort to extreme measures.

It's a simple story that becomes outstanding thanks to absolutely impressive performance by Pistereanu and the mind-blowing Serban's abilities as a filmmaker and storyteller. Film is so good that is one of the few films that I have seen that very successfully translated a play to the big screen, as film is based on the stage play with the same name by Andreea Valean.

Film gloriously closes with an open end where you have to imagine what comes next, was Silviu successful? Did he stopped his mother? Was everything worth it? It's up to you to close this story with a classical happy ending or opt for a different outcome. I simply love when filmmakers leave to us viewers the opportunity to close the story, especially after a very intense, very emotional ride. Fantastic.

I know that film is not for general audiences as has a very slow pace, has many silences, actors express what happens more with face and body expressions than words and yes, nothing is spelled-out in here, you have to get inside the movie to highly enjoy the ride. Almost my perfect kind of movie as the only thing missing was to be visually stunning, but in this case I forgive filmmaker as beauty definitively is something that could not be present in this film and story. This is glorious raw realism.

If you haven't seen film yet, strongly suggest you do so if you enjoy great Romanian new wave cinema.

BIG ENJOY!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

"Crave" Hits at Fantastic Fest

"Crave" is the feature directing debut of Charlie de Lauzirika, who's been one of the top-tier DVD producers for years now. The film was just awarded the Best Director (Next Wave) prize at Fantastic Fest.

Big fan of his work, never met him personally (in reality, anyway, we'd had some friendly interactions on a long-gone movie chat outlet maybe ten years ago) but he's always struck me as one of the good ones. Good to see him make it.

THE B-LIST: OOOH, FUUUUDGE!

Except, as we all know, young Ralphie didn’t say fudge in that scene from A Christmas Story, did he? He said THE word, the big one, the queen-mother of dirty words, the "F-dash-dash-dash" word! And as a result, he spent the evening with a bar of soap in his mouth. Which is admittedly better than what his poor friend Flick got after Ralphie claimed to have heard THE WORD from him. But as viewers, we know where Ralphie really picked up his colorful verbiage from, don’t we?

Ah, nobody delivers a minced oath like Darren McGavin. As you probably know, a minced oath is “a type of euphemism in which a profane or offensive term is replaced by a similar-sounding word or phrase that expresses a comparable sentiment in a less objectionable way, such as substituting ‘heck’ for ‘hell’.” But the minced oaths in A Christmas Story are an intentional part of the movie, and because of that they work perfectly. However, for better or worse (okay, probably worse), most films these days just go with full-on profanity and don’t bother adding in any minced oaths until later when they sell the broadcast rights to television and need to replace the dirty words with something a bit more suitable for Saturday afternoons when the kiddies may be tuning in.  You know how it works. Somebody in the theatrical version drops the the "F-dash-dash-dash" word, but the television version overdubs the line with something like “Flip this!” or “Forget you!” It can be kind of entertaining in its own way, especially when they don’t even bother getting the original actors to do the overdubbing.

But occasionally, the choice of what minced oath to utilize can be a little bizarre, especially in those instances where the profanity being replaced is not gratuitous, but purposeful to the scene it is in. I bet you can still find folks on message boards laughing (lamenting) about the time Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock was shown on the BBC with Captain Kirk exclaiming loudly, "Those Klingon BANDITS killed my son!" Yeah, it doesn’t really have the same impact as the original expletive does it? Why didn’t the Brits just ruin the sentiment entirely and have Kirk cry out against those Klingon scoundrels or those Klingon hooligans?

With that in mind, we (not so) proudly present to you three of the oddest moments of editorially dictated minced oaths to be heard on the television (at least among those we could find on YouTube). NOTE: As a PG-13 blog, we’re not about to provide the original profanities here, so the examples below do assume you have some familiarity with the original bits of dialog being replaced from the following movies.

DIE HARD 2 – Yippee-kay-aye… Mr. Falcon? Okay, so the original profanity was a tad gratuitous, but it was a direct reference to the original catchphrase from the first Die Hard flick, so the minced oath here comes across as a little weird, especially considering we have no idea who or what Mr. Falcon is. Now if you dig deep enough, you’ll discover that the TV edit also changes an earlier line of dialog to one in which a no-name soldier quickly refers to one of the main villains as Mr. Falcon, an apparent reference to a codename you can almost hear over a radio if you’re ignoring the rest of the movie and only concentrating on the background noise. Hey, at least they put a little effort into it.

GHOSTBUSTERS – In contrast to Diehard, Ghostbusters just filmed an entire second version of this famous scene for television broadcast. Can’t you just hear the writers now? “Hmm, we need to replace a dirty word for TV. Well, what rhymes with… that word. Hey, we know, how about Wally Wick?” Which, of course, results in people around the world asking, “Wally Wick? Wally Wick? What the…? Oh wait, is that supposed to be a Mickey Mouse reference? Oh come on, couldn’t a blockbuster like Ghostbusters afford to use the real name so we wouldn’t have to miss the rest of the joke while we try and figure out what the heck Aykroyd is talking about?”

SNAKES ON A PLANE – For confusion, though, you can’t beat the edited version of Snakes On A Plane. You know, this movie is kind of like Goodfellas in the sense that you wonder why they even bothered playing it on broadcast television to begin with. I mean, with the exception of his dialog in Star Wars & The Incredibles, profanity seems to stream out of Samuel L. Jackson’s mouth with more regularity than water gushing from Old Faithful, so just about every scene he’s in requires an edit. Still, in this one instance, the use of the "F-dash-dash-dash" word isn’t entirely gratuitous, but is meant to punctuate Jackson’s total frustration with the circumstances and the fact that he isn’t going to take it anymore. So what do they replace his penultimate outburst with? "I have had it with these monkey-fightin’ snakes on this Monday-to-Friday plane." WHAT THE FLIP does that even mean? What are monkey-fightin’ snakes? Not that I’ve got anything against monkey-fightin’ snakes, mind you. I’d probably watch a movie about them if they put it on SyFy. But still, are they so common that we’re supposed to get the reference? And don’t even get me started on Monday-to-Friday plane. I’m thinking they just opened up a dictionary and picked the first two words they saw that started with M & F.

Look, it’s hard to come up with interesting and appropriate minced oaths that convey a comparable sentiment to widely-used profanities. Trust me, as a Christian who runs a (arguably) humorous blog that sometimes requires their use, I know. Sometimes I’m successful at pulling it off, sometimes… apparently not. At least that’s what I gather from a comment left on a recent post at Catholic Exchange in which I was criticized for the “foul language” I purportedly utilized in a comic strip (or a fumeti if you have to be precise). This is the Internet, so there’s always the chance the offended commenter was a troll, but I decided to take him at face value and answer his criticisms. Unfortunately, for whatever technical reasons, the responses I left to the commenter regarding his concerns, while still showing up in my blog dashboard, refuse to appear in the combox itself. (I guess I still haven’t mastered Wordpress yet.) While that’s kind of irritating, it’s ultimately fine because it allows me to address the topic in a post, and a blogger never turns down free subject material.

Now, as regards the “foul language”, since the original commenter wasn’t specific, I can only think of two things he could have been referring to. The first was in this panel…

While possible, I don’t think this was where he found a problem. After all, the use of nonsense symbols like #$%& has been a technique used to avoid profanity since the dawn of cartooning. It basically operates as the visual equivalent of bleeping out an offensive word. And because you don’t see or hear the word, you can pretty much substitute whatever you want to in the symbol’s place. So while I could be wrong, I don’t think that was what caused the complaint. Which pretty much leaves this…

Ah, I think we have a winner (so to speak). Now, assuming we’ve found the offending word, I apologize in advance to the original commenter, because it’s important we discuss it here for a brief moment. By no definition of which I’m aware is the term douchebag considered a profanity. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the pejorative use of the word as a “North American informal [for] an obnoxious or contemptible person, typically a man.” And it’s important that it’s not considered a profanity because the Church frowns on the use of such words. Rev. William Saunders, Professor of Catechetics and Theology at Christendom College, writes that “profanity itself is wrong, even though such words may not specifically involve the name of God. God gave mankind the gift of language which should be used positively. Language should build good relationships with other individuals, and enable people to share their lives intimately with each other. Sadly, more and more, we hear in normal conversation profanity — especially those four letter words, like s*** and f***. We also hear people speak profanely about good and holy topics; for example, they profane human sexuality or the act of marital love. Such language is not only negative, vulgar, impolite and offensive, but also debases the dignity of each human being. Moreover, this language reveals not only a person’s bad attitude and lack of respect for others, but also his own immaturity and insecurity in dealing with others. In using these words, the person builds barriers rather than bridges with another person.” Given all that, I’d have to say it’s a good thing I avoided profanity and only used symbols in implying it (which even Fr. Saunders seemed comfortable doing in the above quote).

But since I’ve been called out by a fellow Christian (something we’re instructed to do to each other, by the way), I don’t want to get off scot free based solely on a technicality. Besides, the original commenter didn’t actually say I used profanity, just that I used “foul language”. And let’s be honest, profanity or not, the word douchebag does have gynecological origins, so it’s easy to see how that might make it offensive (or “foul” as the case may be) to any number of people. So despite the fact that the dictionary doesn’t indicate the word is vulgar, let’s assume that some folks are going to find it so anyway. That being the case, is there any good reason for a Christian to ever use such a word?

Well, maybe. It might all come down to how you want to interpret Ephesians 4:29 wherein St. Paul writes, “No foul language should come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for needed edification, that it may impart grace to those who hear.” On first glance it would seem that he is condemning all questionable verbiage. But that causes a small problem, because in Phillipians 3:8 St. Paul also exclaims, “More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” So what, you might ask? Well, in older translations such as the Douay-Rheims, the word sanitized here as ‘rubbish’ is usually rendered as ‘dung’. And even that might be cleaner than the original language the letter was written in wherein Paul utilizes the ancient Greek word σκύβαλον. While many linguists believe the word refers to table scraps or leavings, others have equated it to the word crap, or possibly even the dreaded S-dash-dash-dash word. In short, it’s quite possible that St. Paul is saying that anything worldly that gets in the way of our relationship with Christ is nothing but a bunch of bull#$%&. Which is true, but also foul no matter what way you try to look at it.

So if the fouler translation turns out to be the correct one (and we may never know for sure), is St. Paul being a hypocrite, telling us to speak one way while indulging in its opposite himself? Well, not if you take “…but only such as is good for needed edification” as meaning there could be some infrequent exceptions where the careful and deliberate use of an offensive word might actually help hammer home a spiritual point better than a more delicate wording would. You know, sort of like in the movies where an expletive like Rhett Butler’s “Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.” communicates his feelings much more clear and forceful than if he had said “Frankly, my dear, I’m not interested in pursuing this relationship anymore and am basically ambivalent as to what decision you make regarding your future.” At least, I sure hope that’s how it works because that was certainly what I was going for in using the word douchebag in the above mentioned comic, and it’s why I feel comfortable using certain words when I think they best serve the purpose of the post.

However, let’s all keep in mind that I’m not ordained, not a credentialed biblical scholar, and I’m certainly not working under a charism of infallibility, so it’s quite possible my reasoning above is full of… σκύβαλον. Good Christians are always open to correction, so I’d really love to hear everyone’s take on the matter.

Mumblecore Beatdown

You may have heard that Badass Digest helmer Devin Faraci and "mumblecore" darling Joe Swanberg participated in one of Fantastic Fest's infamous "debates" over the weekend. If you're not familiar with the format, FF lets participants lay into eachother verbally in a conventional debate... then the opponents put on boxing gloves and settle up for real.

Swanberg won the physical matchup rather definitively (you can see the footage after the jump) - he's a big guy with almost a foot on his opponent, and in Devin's own words he got "the piss beaten out of him." The whole thing is more-or-less for show; but these two guys don't like eachother and for my money Faraci won the war of words with this brutal slapdown of the "mumblecore" movement:

"Mumblecore is the opposite of everything that's great about indie film. It's the laziest form of filmmaking. It's a bunch of middle class and upper class white kids whining about their ennui and their middle class white lives in front of a camera, without a script, without good actors. Here's what you need to make a mumblecore movie: a sense of entitlement, white skin, and Greta Gerwig, and that's it."

"To me, the word "core" at the end of mumblecore, sounds like it should be something punk rock, something amazing, something edgy. Instead it's the blandest, most self-indulgent bullshit, aimed only at the narcissists who make it. Your only audience, pretty much, is you."

I'm not always Devin's biggest fan or even "defender," but I can't help but give a colossal FUCK. YES. to that.

What Is "Lee's Adventure?"

I'm being told on good authority that a Chinese film called "Lee's Adventure," billed as the big breakout vehicle for Jackie Chan's son and just screened at Fantastic Fest, is the next great "movie about video games." Based on an animated short, plot concerns a teenager with a bizarre mental affliction attempting to complete a game which he believes will allow him access to time-travel. Trailer below the jump:

Fraulein - Ein Detusches Melodram

The last made for TV movie by Michael Haneke before doing his first big screen film (later he did two more made for TV movies) is a film that honestly really confused me. My first spontaneous reaction was that this movie does not fit what I have in my head regarding Haneke as to me film looks and feels quite normal. Yes found film to be similar to several European movies from those years (the eighties) and before, as film is set in the near past, post-WWII and there was nothing I could find that told me this was a Haneke film. Sigh. But that doesn't mean at all that I didn't enjoy watching this unusual melodrama, a film that to enjoy it you have to really recall many movies, some cinema history and some WWII history, I'll explain later.

Then I started to read about this movie and what follows is a mix of what I read and what I saw in film. Let's start by sharing that this film is considered by some cinema academics as the "response" to Rainer Werner Fassbinder's Die Ehe der Maria Braun (The Marriage of Maria Braun) and perhaps it is as definitively this film looks like what Haneke said: "a deliberate attempt to create a counter-film against the heroizing of German postwar mentalities". In this film the lead role Anna, played by Angelica Domröse, is more concerned with her life and the inconveniences that came when his husband, believed to be dead, suddenly returns to the small German village; which is very different than the patriotic view that predominated in post-war set German cinema. I don't really remember Fassbinder's film as saw it a very long time ago, but maybe will see it again to see with my own eyes the two films relationship.

Nevertheless from what I read, what got my attention is that cinema academics claim that with this film Haneke "overcame" his Fassbinder "obsession". If factual, then we have to thank this film that helped Haneke to develop his own particular master style.

As mentioned film tells the story of Anna, who has a good life 10 years after her husband, Hans, became a POW in Russia. Film starts with Hans family discussing that is time to declare Hans dead, Anna's refusal and showing us how happy life was for this family in this sleepy German village. Anna has two teenage children, works/owns a movie theater and has a companion, Andre, who is accepted by all her family, including her in-laws. Everything changes when she gets a letter from the association of war returnees, telling her that Hans is returning home. Not a bad story, even when only seen in the surface, without analyzing the movie clips, the historic events and news seen in the movie theater and other screens.

If something I discovered after reading about film is that film is complex, very complex. To me contemporary Haneke's films have been quite easy to decode, but this one was not, even when I'm familiar with many -not all- the movie clips and other elements shown in film. Maybe now that I learned so much about this movie I could watch it again to decode all elements; so, I do recommend you read as much as possible about this movie before watching as surely will help to enjoy more film. Unlike previous Haneke's TV movie I posted, this film has many references and analysis that you can easily find in the net.

Spontaneously film as a film bothered me a lot because editing which I found intrusive instead of explanatory, which is not at all how contemporary Haneke's films are. But film has many absolutely beautiful compositions that are truly visually stunning and yes, is a black and white film that only at the end, for a few minutes, becomes full color.

Would I be talking like the above if film was not a Haneke film? No, probably not; but it is a Haneke film and had to learn more about film before writing and yes, surely will watch film again but have to wait a while as watching two Haneke's films in one day was too much, I knew it but couldn't resist watching. Sigh.

If you enjoy Haneke's contemporary work then this film is must be seen for you but as mentioned, suggest you read about film before watching; if you enjoy classic European melodramas then I know you could also enjoy this film.

I'm still amazed that this is a made for TV movie (German TV) as definitively does not look or feel like that; film looks and feels like big screen movies from the seventies and eighties, like many films from great French, Italian, and German directors. Truly surprising as before watching these two Haneke's films perhaps the best TV related film was 1989 Dekalog miniseries; but have to admit that I haven't seen Fassbinder's made for TV movies. If you wish to see film, use the link provided in previous Haneke's made for TV movie post.

Enjoy!!!

That Time The Muppets Met Mario

Something fun, for your Sunday.

I think "Muppet Babies" might be (by default) the closest to "overrated" any of the mainline Muppet productions ever got, mostly because it was probably a certain generation of kids first exposure to the characters. Absolutely not a BAD show, by any means, but watching it again now it's kind of unnavoidable that the ratio of preschool-moralizing to actual humor is a bit lopsided in the not-as-funny direction (also, yes... having all the character voices pitched so high starts to grate after a bit.)

But, fond memories I still have; particularly of the handful of episodes I had on tape and watched incessantly as a kid. One I only think I saw once, however, was (for obvious reasons) burned into my head just enough that before you could look these things up on the internet there was a period when I thought I'd imagined it: "It's Only Pretendo."


If you're not familiar with (or don't recall) the premise of the show, the Babies would play this or that make-believe game, which would flip back and forth between the "real world" of their nursery and elaborate visualizations of what they're pretending is going on; often using mixed-media additions of movie and TV footage (usually public-domain, but sometimes big stuff like "Star Wars" which is why this isn't on DVD yet.)

This episode is built around playing "Pretendo," which you'll gather is supposed to be a video-game console (the "lesson" turns out to be "play friendly and share" rather than "put that down and go outside," UNHEARD OF in any other cartoon of the era where gaming was involved!) Aside from the obvious, I think the reason this one probably stuck out to me as a kid was that you almost NEVER saw video games being played by characters on TV and you definitely never saw reference to ACTUAL games. But that's what goes on here, as the main part of the show is essentially wall-to-wall reference to Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros, Zelda, Frogger (of course) Q*Bert and even The Power Pad(!) plus relative obscurities like Keith Courage and Fantasy Zone.

Enjoy! Part I   Part II   Part III

Lemminge, Teil 1 Arkadien (Lemmings, Part 1: Arcadia)

Fascinating early work by Michael Haneke that fast will grab your attention, hold it and won't release you until the very end. Most impressive is that this was about the fourth Haneke film and is a made for TV movie! Yes a TV movie. But never before have seen a made for TV movie like this one, and have seen my good share of old TV movies from Europe.

To be brief I'll do a comparison as reference and because there has to be a relationship. This 1979 movie feels like Haneke's 1997 Funny Games as has similar storytelling style that magnificently introduces us to characters and slowly their downturn begins. It does not look like the mentioned movie as here I believe he goes darker, very darker, disturbingly darker. Not only with narrative but also with the use of light. Yes I believe this is darker than Funny Games that was strictly violent, disturbingly violent.

Written by Haneke tells a story of five teenagers, a slice of their lives that begin at one point and end at another point; nothing much is said about before and you have to imagine what follows after the end. But obviously that's not what movie is about. This is a strong exploration of post-war youth and how damaged they are thanks to living in a morally very restrictive society. As in many of Haneke's films story is set in the past but is truly impressive how current they are, even today, 33 years after first was screened on Austrian TV.

Even if is told in movie, let me share a definition of Lemmings, one that is not about the rodent: a member of any large group following an unthinking course towards mass destruction. That's exactly what movie is all about.

Never is too late to discover Michael Haneke's early work and my purpose is to eventually watch all his TV movies that seem have his very distinctive mark. This movie has a second part, Lemminge, Teil 2 Verletzungen (Lemmings, Part 2: Injuries) which obviously I'm dying to see.

If you wish to read detailed plot for both films I suggest you check an excerpt of the book Funny Frames: The Filmic Concepts of Michael Haneke by Oliver C. Speck, that you can find here.

If you enjoy the current work by master filmmaker Michael Haneke then this film is must be seen for you. Film was uploaded today here (has English subtitles) and strongly suggest you watch film in your TV, not your computer.

Big Enjoy!!!

PACIFIC RIM 3D Conversion Silver Lining - And What A Silver Lining!

You guys know me by now, if you're going to release a movie that's been converted to 3D you have to plan the production around that. So I mean, have a stereographer working side by side with the director to ensure the shots that are being set up and shot will work very well in three dimensions. That probably means a depth script even though it's not being shot in 3D. It also means consideration to how the movie is lit as well.

But then there's Guillermo del Toro. Obviously he was cleared to shoot PACIFIC RIM in 2D and no one is going to blame him for his reasons for doing so. He's the creative force. I may have a different opinion but would I have gone to see it in 2D? Absol-freakin-lutely.

Here's the thing though. Guillermo is one smart director. Legendary is calling the shots as far as money is concerned and wants it converted. So how can del Toro turn this into something wonderful? He's already in a compromised position due to the fact that he is now going to have a 3D movie that was shot for 2D. So how does he pull this off?

With suitable del Toro gusto. I love this guy! Guillermo is well versed in what makes great 3D and here's the proof - in his own words - on how he approached the executives (Warner Bros and Legendary):

"What happened was, in the weeks and months following Comic-Con, what I asked from the studio was to agree to four points that I wanted to do," he says. "The more the ILM shots arrived, the more I realized that there were only a few shots that would miniaturize. I asked the studio, number one, that we would not hyper-stereo-lize the thing. That we would not force 3D on the beauty shots. That we would keep the giant dimensions. They agreed. Number two, they agreed to something very unusual. Normally a conversion takes a few weeks. I asked to start it immediately so we could take the full 40 weeks to do the conversion. As an example, 'Titanic' took about 50 weeks to convert. The final thing that I asked that they agreed to, which was amazing, was that I asked them to give me an extra budget, which is considerable, to actually have ILM composite the shots that are CG native 3D. We're not giving elements. ILM is giving the composite in 3D from the get-go. That's a huge, huge element. Now I'm going to be involved in supervising it. What can I tell you? I changed my mind. I'm not running for office. I can do a Romney."

So to be clear, here's his list:
1. Don't exaggerate the 3D during some of the massive robot shots - his 'beauty shots'.
This makes sense. Some shots simply will not hold water if you force 3D upon them. Further, audiences need time to relax their eyes in between full immersive 3D. A 3D movie does not need to be, nor should it, always be forcing 3D - unlike some movie blog sites out there that claim they should be by how they rate the genre.

2. He got Legendary to agree to a 40 week conversion!
This is massive. Of course there is more to getting this job done than time, but time is one of the key components of any great conversion. You need time, money, appropriate content and resources. With 40 weeks, you can strike that component concern off the map. Love it!

3. Asked for and received more money - then throwing this at ILM for native 3D visual effects scenes!
The most intricate conversions would have been the action and impact scenes. In one fell swoop, Guillermo negotiated for and won the right to pay Industrial Light and Magic to not only fulfill his visual effects needs, but to render them in native 3D from the beginning. No need to convert these scenes and we'll end up with awesome 3D.

Don't fool yourself. Guillermo del Toro knows what he is doing in 3D. He hasn't shot in native 3D yet, but given his past awareness of the format (he spoke about myself and 3D right here), his clear knowledge of the format in what he negotiated for and won from Legendary for PACIFIC RIM, and of course his close friendship with James Cameron (they were going to do AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS together) - shows his affinity for what we know and love here at MarketSaw.

Best of luck with the conversion Guillermo! You truly have my support in this. You've addressed your needs to make a great 3D conversion and I for one, believe you can do this thing. You've rightly said that TITANIC took 50 weeks and it was a stunning conversion. Can't wait to see this thing on as large a 3D screen as I can find! Bring it on GDT...

PACIFIC RIM opens in 3D on July 12, 2013.

Source: STYD
Thanks: David S. Cohen

Has LEGO Revealed a MAJOR "Man of Steel" Spoiler??

Everyone else is running this, so I figure I might as well get my clicks while I can.

In one of those developments that I'm sure I'll be hearing about as the "symbolic death of film journalism" at the next critic's meetup; major movie news has once again been (potentially) made by the release of a toy company's product schedule: LEGO has been giving retailers the heads-up as to their 2013 licensed products, and references therein seem to have let some possible-surprises slip a little early.

One of them isn't all that much of a surprise (pretty much everyone has figured out who/what Ben Kingsley is ACTUALLY playing in "Iron Man 3," yes?) but the other MAY have given away the game for Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan's "Man of Steel."

All speculation at this point, but still... POTENTIAL MAJOR SPOILER AFTER THE JUMP!

Last chance to turn back, kids:

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The last entry on LEGO's product list for playsets reads as follows: 76009: SUPERMAN BLACK ZERO ESCAPE. If there's an especially well-versed DC Comics fan reading this in the vicinity near you, it may be wise to give them a bag to breathe into.

Who or what is "Black Zero?" Well, to give you an idea of why this could be the mother of all spoilers for this particular movie, the Silver Age (1968) story that introduced the first iteration of the character/concept was called "The Man Who Destroyed Krypton."

Yeah.

In the story (now long-deleted from "official" Superman canon by a Crisis or fifty) Black Zero is an alien "space saboteur" who specializes in causing the destruction of entire planets; and reveals that while Jor-El had been right about Krypton's demise being probable, the "internal pressures" issue would actually have worked itself out had Black Zero not given them an extra shove. When Zero turns his attentions to Earth, Superman is forced to release a Kryptonian supervillain named Jax-Ur from The Phantom Zone in order to defeat him.

In post-Crisis continuity, "Black Zero" is the name of a terrorist organization that was part of a clones-vs-natural-borns Civil War on ancient Krypton whose superweapon "The Destroyer" set in motion the milleniums-long chain reaction that eventually. resulted in the planet's ultimate demise. There's also been a "Black Zero Computer Virus" and the original's name/costume were adopted by an alternate-universe doppleganger of the post-Doomsday Superboy.

So, then... assuming that this is legit, what is "Black Zero" in "Man of Steel?" Is "what destroyed Krypton?" part of some big overarching mystery in the film? Is it a character? An organization? Just a "shout-out" for fans? Mucking around and "over-complicating" the Krypton backstory has been sketchy territory for Superman adaptations in the past... but it's also something I can easily imagine Warners aiming at to give the character some Batman-ish angst; and it'd be VERY typical of the ultra-literalist, mechanics-fixated Nolan Bros. to want to tie the end of Krypton in the backstory to the main story (re: Superman has to literally protect Earth from the same fate his father failed to prevent on Kypton.)

I'll be honest... neither of those theories sound like particularly good ideas to me, but I'm intrigued.

Devin Faraci Muscles In On My Territory

I kid, I kid.

So, BadassDigest has joined the ranks of web video shows, and I think the result is pretty slick: Faraci, Amy Nicholson and Jeremy Smith breaking down the overall pretty-meh Summer 2012 offerings. Check it out:

WOW. MUST WATCH: New International Trailer For Ang Lee's LIFE OF PI

What a week for gorgeous trailers! First THE HOBBIT and now LIFE OF PI! After seeing the second trailer for Peter Jackson's re-visitation to Middle-earth I was suitably impressed. One of the best trailers I have ever seen. Then comes along this beast of a trailer! WOW.

Which do you think is better? Tough, tough choice and certainly they are totally different movies but the imagery in both astound.

Ang Lee's LIFE OF PI has done nothing but impress me from the start of their marketing push. Each successive drop of visual splendor has been better than the last and this tells me we are in for a treat opening night. Same for THE HOBBIT. It's hard not to compare these trailers.

And the comparisons don't stop at just the trailers. The 3D is going to look amazing and we have some bragging rights at stake here too: THE HOBBIT is being shot using 3ality Technica rigs and LIFE OF PI is utilizing Cameron | Pace Group rigs! Clearly both productions are going to have cutting edge, best of the best native 3D - combine that with the content we have seen thus far in these trailers and then throw it up on the largest 3D screen available and... sheer movie immersion.

Here's the storyline for LIFE OF PI:
Director Ang Lee (BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON) creates a groundbreaking movie event about a young man who survives a tragic disaster at sea and is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While marooned on a lifeboat, he forms an amazing and unexpected connection with the ship’s only other survivor — a fearsome Bengal tiger.

What do you think of the trailer? I can't stop watching it. Both of these trailers this week in fact. I must have watched them both a dozen times and I still feel as though I've missed something and want to revisit them.

LIFE OF PI hits theaters on November 21.

Sylvester Stallone Wants HUNTER In 3D By 2014!

Sylvester Stallone has owned the movie rights to James Byron Huggins' HUNTER for some time now and at one point was interested in using the material as fodder for RAMBO 5. Now he is thinking of a standalone movie and Lionsgate seems to agree.

The target for release is 2014. Stallone would be writing, directing and starring in the sci-fi action thriller which will apparently stay loyal to the book (from Amazon):

Nathaniel Hunter could track anyone -- or anything -- on earth. Now the military desperately needs him for a mission that his ultrasensitive instincts tell him he should refuse. A beast is loose somewhere north of the Arctic Circle. It has already decimated a secret research facility and annihilated a squad of elite military guards. And the raging creature is headed south toward civilization, ready to wreak bloody devastation.

It's a job that Hunter can't turn down, but he soon discovers that his prey is terror incarnate, a half-human abomination created by a renegade agency through a series of outlawed genetic experiments. It has man's cunning, a predator's savageness, and a prehistoric power that has transcended the ages. And even if Hunter survives its unrelenting hunger for human blood, he'll still have to confront the grim reality that it may have grown immortal.

This sounds like a perfect vehicle for Stallone and I'd be very interested to see this in 3D. The potential of blowing snow enveloping us as an audience while immersed in the movie sounds amazing. Really hoping this gets made. More when I get it.

Source: Yahoo

Escape to The Movies: "Resident Evil: Retribution"

It could've been worse.

"Intermission" is about retail stories.

The Escapist : Escape to the Movies : Resident Evil Retribution

Whoa... who woke up Harrison Ford?

Below, the trailer for "42," a biopic of Jackie Robinson (why haven't there been at least sixty of these by now??) with newcomer Chadwick Boseman in the lead and Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey. It looks good. The only thing worrying is the April release date - the pedigree (biopic, issue-oriented, aging legend playing historical figure in showy supporting part) practically screams "Oscar movie!!!;" so why is it opening after this years show and so long before next years.

In any case, the film is due in April and they're already running trailers starting today; which means I will be called about 10 to 15 times between now and then by my dad to ask if I've seen this yet and if it's any good.

Man Lynches Chair in Texas

I'm inclined to believe (at least partially) Clint Eastwood when he says that his surreal performance at the Republican Convention was mostly him fucking around at the expense of both the President and the people "dumb enough" to invite him to their convention. Okay, fine.

That said, his "Invisible Obama" sketch has, intentionally or not, given Republicans a new racist effigy it can use to get it's point across i.e. rage at the Scary Black Man in the White House and long, long, long overdue un-bleaching of America he represents to them.

And, sad to say... yeah, this shit does probably get to be part of Eastwood's legacy now - live by The Right, fall by The Right.

THE GREAT GATSBY Moved To May 2013

I'm disappointed with this move simply because I believe that it's a holiday movie. Especially for the New Years crowd. Oh well, we knew it was happening and I'm sure THE GREAT GATSBY will do well kicking off the summer with a new release date of May 10, 2013.

Despite the new date, I still think it will be nominated for awards just based on marketing materials alone. Baz Luhrmann looks like he has hit another home run.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
THE GREAT GATSBY follows Fitzgerald-like, would-be writer Nick Carraway as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz, bootleg kings, and sky-rocketing stocks. Chasing his own American Dream, Nick lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby, and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy, and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan. It is thus that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. As Nick bears witness, within and without of the world he inhabits, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and high-octane tragedy, and holds a mirror to our own modern times and struggles.

For all of our coverage on THE GREAT GATSBY, click here.

ALL-NEW "Game OverThinker" Is Now Live!

Our newest episode is now showing for all audiences on The Other Site and also on ScrewAttack!

In EPISODE 75: "EASY DOES IT", we examine the modern controversy over "Easy Modes": do they really - as the lead designer of "Assassin's Creed III" recently claimed - "ruin games," or is there a vital place for them? In addition, we proudly announce that the next episode will be "Ask Ivan!" - wherein Ivan the Intern will answer questions to posted to the comments sections under the video itself or to this blog post (see episode for details, no anonymous questions please.)

ALSO! You'll see The OverThinker's favorite watering hole, discover the history of The OmegaThinker, witness the shocking origin of RoboThinker, learn something new about Ivan the Intern and watch ME gradually figure out how to properly use my new green-screen! (in all sincerity, I know some folks run hot or cold on the skits, but I'm pretty psyched with how the "ending" bookend for this one turned out tone, FX and timing-wise.)

Embedded episode and spoiler-y discussion after the jump!

*NOTE: QUESTIONS FOR "ASK IVAN" SHOULD BE POSTED EITHER TO THE COMMENTS UNDER THE VIDEO AT SCREWATTACK OR TO THIS POST AT THE "OVERTHINKER" BLOG; *NOT* TO THIS BLOG.



Yeah, I'm proud of this one. The Hutchinson quote kind of fell into my lap as a perfect sort of topic-starter for my little niche here, and it gave me some room to A.) flesh out exactly what it is Ivan is supposed to be doing most of the time and B.) bring RetroThinker back into the picture and try out what might become his new status-quo as "resident old-timey expert guy." He's a fun "voice" to write for, and his "costume" isn't as cumbersome as some others...

As to RoboThinker's origin? I really like how it came out, overall, but it was a winding road to get here.

When I sat down during the "planning stages" for the revamped show as the AntiThinker business was coming to an end, a robot villain named "RoboThinker" was the very first thing I wrote down after deciding to continue the "____Thinker" naming-scheme schtick, but for the longest time that was all I had for him. (FYI, you have been spared the appearance of non-starter ideas like an enviro-terrorist called "Eco-Thinker," a white or yellow ninja tagged as "ElectroThinker" and a flatulence-powered one-off villain named "OverStinker.")

Believe it or not, for a long time my plan was for him to either resemble Robocop or The Borg - which would've been highly unfortunate since this is hitting so soon after "To Boldly Flee." Ultimately, I wanted him to look like a less specific parody, and the final concept ("Super-Sentai Terminator," basically) turned out to be best within my budget/abilities AND to fit best with OmegaThinker's DBZ/Trunks angle (that being DBZ's "Terminator" spoof and all.)

In any case, I hope everyone enjoys this one; and I'm already enjoying seeing people getting into the spirit of "Ask Ivan." If all goes well, you'll get those answers, an explanation of WHY OmegaThinker doesn't want OverThinker doing the fighting and your first taste of RoboThinker's voice and personality next time. Until then, let's hear those questions for Ivan!

*NOTE: QUESTIONS FOR "ASK IVAN" SHOULD BE POSTED EITHER TO THE COMMENTS UNDER THE VIDEO AT SCREWATTACK OR TO THIS POST AT THE "OVERTHINKER" BLOG; *NOT* TO THIS BLOG.