Check Out Concept Art From Marvel's Futuristic Theme Park
Filed under: Fandom, Exhibition, Comic/Superhero/Geek
Two years ago the Al Ahli Group announced a partnership with Marvel Entertainment that would see to fruition a massive, cutting-edge amusement park to be built in Dubai and feature rides and exhibits tailor themed to the likes of Spider-Man, Iron Man, The Hulk, The X-Men, and all the rest of Marvel's impressive stable of superheroes (and villains). Obviously a lot has changed since then. First, Disney purchased Marvel outright, and though there was plenty examination of what that meant for future Marvel film franchises and existing properties, I don't recall any talk of this new theme park being bandied about. Second, and more recently, the financial crisis world wide has taken a particularly heavy toll on the rather lofty model Dubai had based its construction-heavy economy on, halting many planned projects.
Considering those two bits of news, chances aren't looking too good that the Marvel park will ever be a reality, but that doesn't mean we can't run down what could have been. The Disney and More blog has posted a fascinating smattering of concept art developed by the Chimera Design Company, showcasing a number of different attractions planned for Marvel Dubailand. Obviously rollercoasters are a mainstay of any theme park, but this hypothetical wonderland looked to have been hiding a few tricks up its sleeve. Though the designs lack full explanation, some of them are too intriguing to be immune from speculation. Take the concept art above, for example, which features Spider-Man fighting off the Green Goblin and Dr. Octopus while a group of people are in free fall from a skyscraper.
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New 'Iron Man 2' Photos Have Everyone Thinking
Filed under: Action, Paramount, Fandom, Movie Marketing, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels, Images
On the heels of the first Iron Man 2 poster come a few official stills straight from Paramount. Everyone looks very serious. Whiplash is seriously working on something, surrounded by pictures of Tony Stark to keep his hate burning and his ethic cheerful. Black Widow is seriously up to no good, even if she looks slinky doing it. Even Tony isn't taking things lightly -- not the destruction to his house, and not whatever he's brewing in his latest science project.
There's nothing really new on display here -- the Black Widow photo has been around in varying degrees of resolution since before San Diego Comic Con -- but it's just nice to see the characters out and about, isn't it? If you're given to intense plot speculation, you can all give your take on just what Tony and Whiplash have brewing, and just who caused Tony's marble floor to shatter into a dozen pieces. Did he fly through the ceiling again? Is he building an access portal so that it doesn't ever happen again? Or did some nefarious individual blast a hole into his luxurious tile, hoping to get into his secret lair of Iron Man suits?
We'll know on May 7th, 2010. Until then, just spin your own stories, and delight in a peek at the finished product. The first stills from a film always remind me of the good old days of Disney Adventures when this is all you'd have to go on until summer rolled around.
Free Flick of the Day: Vexille
Filed under: Action, Animation
How about a little feature-length anime to brighten the first day of December? Brand-new on SlashControl is Fumihiko Sori's eye-dazzling Vexille, which is a sci-fi action tale that's way too complicated to cover here. Suffice to say it's got lots of cool ideas, epic moments, awesome action sequences, and a rather excellent Paul Oakenfold score.
As a matter of fact, I actually reviewed this film from the Toronto Film Festival way back in 2007. Here's a piece from that review:
"On a technical scale, Vexille (aka Bekushiru: 2077 Nippon Sakoku) is an undeniable treat for the eyes. Combining 2-D and 3-D animation (as in his earlier Appleseed), Sori eschews belabored backstories and mystical blather in favor of a straightforward sci-fi action-fest. Plus the two main heroes are women, which I found to be a nice switch. (And again, the stuff in between the action is actually interesting!) Fans of the manga comic book of the same name may be interested to know that Vexille is a new story within the established serial, but speaking as a complete newcomer to the series I thought it was a fun, flashy way to spend two hours."
And while you can see and enjoy the film right after the jump, I'd consider it just a teaser. Yes, you get the whole film (and free of charge!) but if you like Vexille ... you gotta see it on DVD in HD widescreen. Just lovely.
Watch This: A Montage of New York City Biting the Dust on Film
Filed under: Fandom, Trailers and Clips
Being one of the largest cities in the world comes with its own set of problems. Sure, dense populations tend to lead to higher rates of crime and homelessness, and maintaining the general welfare of any major metropolis is a gargantuan undertaking, but being a globally recognized city overflowing with landmarks means you've also got a cinematic bullseye on your back; and there is no bigger bullseye than New York, New York. Anyone with a big effects budget and a rampaging [insert name of monster, alien, meteor, or climate disaster here] is going to want to see NYC burn to the ground in their film. And if the box office haul of massive disaster pictures is any indication, most movie goers are also going to want to see NYC burn to the ground.
But why wade through the savagely long run time of 2012 or the cinematic sadness that is Godzilla 1998 just for a glimpse of NYC getting its skyscraper face pummeled in? For just such an occasion, the kind folks at Goodie Bag have assembled Hollywood vs New York, a lovely three-minute montage of the Big Apple getting a big bite taken out of it and set the whole thing to the tune of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". There are 22 films that contribute to the montage, and fortunately Roland Emmerich's offerings don't monopolize the screen time. It's a nice array of titles that have all given NYC an apocalyptic makeover over the years, but the fun is placing the structural carnage, so I won't rattle off the list here.
I'll also stop rattling myself, as seeing NYC get beat up on to a jazz composition is what this post is all about, anyway.
'Mystery Team' Hits New York on Friday - Watch Their New Short!
Filed under: Comedy, DIY/Filmmaking, Movie Marketing, Trailers and Clips
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While it's sadly not going to take home any Oscars and probably won't nudge its way onto too many best-of-the-decade lists, one of my favorite comedies of 2009 has been slowly making its way across the country and is finally set to debut in New York this Friday, December 4th. I first saw Mystery Team (starring the crazy cats of DERRICK Comedy) at a packed midnight screening during the Sundance Film Festival (where I described it as " Encyclopedia Brown meets Napoleon Dynamite with a pinch of Ace Ventura"), and the place was just rolling. Ever since then it's been one of the films I've been championing throughout the year, if only because I know there are people out there (and fans of comedy in general) who would totally love every second of this thing.
This Thursday I'm going to be hosting a pretty cool DERRICK Comedy event at the New York Film Academy, and I look forward to sharing DERRICK's story with a couple hundred students (I also hope to share video of the event with you once it's over). Then, on Friday, Mystery Team opens in NY at the Quad Cinemas downtown and the dudes from DERRICK Comedy will be appearing live at every evening performance for intros and post-screening Q&As. Additionally, if you show up twice and bring your ticket stub, you earn a chance to have your name on the Mystery Team DVD.
Finally, while their film has been spreading like a virus across the States, DERRICK has kept busy filming more comedy sketches. They're definitely NSFW (not safe for work), feature foul language and sexual innuendos. I've posted their latest -- hot off the presses -- after the jump. Check it out.
Gotham Indie Awards Crown 'Hurt Locker,' 'The Maid'
Filed under: Awards, Newsstand
In case you missed the live-Tweeting and live-blogging from last night's Gotham Independent Awards at NYC's Cipriani, we're here to help. Indie favorite The Hurt Locker took home the two big awards, Best Feature and Best Ensemble Performance, although The Maid's Catalina Saavedra snagged the award for Best Breakthrough Actor, beating out The Hurt Locker's Jeremy Renner, Ben Foster (The Messenger), Patton Oswalt (Big Fan), and Souleymane Sy Savane (Goodbye Solo). Robert Siegel, who also wrote The Wrestler and wrote and directed Big Fan, snatched the Breakthrough Director award from The Hurt Locker's Kathryn Bigelow and the Coens. Meanwhile, the stomach-churningly fascinating Food Inc. won best doc for its close look at how what's on our plates really got there, and how big biz helped (or harmed, as the case may be). And the Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You award went to You Wont Miss Me, which was directed by Russo-Young, who cowrote the film with Stella Schnabel. (The missing apostrophe is on purpose, natch.)
Sounds like there were some indie hijinks happening, as those on the scene reported that Rosie Perez congratulated Willem Dafoe, who was there to present Kathryn Bigelow with a career tribute, on his, uh, performance in Antichrist, declaring it a "sick-ass movie." (Truth.)
Do you think that these awards will have any affect on the rest of the award season? As Monika noted last night in her latest Girls on Film column, the Academy Awards Best Actress pool is a bit shallow. Could we see Catalina Saavedra ready to hit the red carpet for the Oscars? Have you seen any of the IFP films, and if not, are you going to seek them out now?
Check out the complete list of noms here.
UPDATED: Paul Greengrass Quits 'Bourne 4'
Filed under: Action, Thrillers, Universal, RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels
Everyone and their grandmothers seems to want a fourth Bourne film, and the question of "When, when, when?!" has dogged Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass for a long time. Shockingly, the answer may now be "never," as The Playlist is reporting that Greengrass has quit Bourne 4. Script problems and a fractious relationship with Universal are said to be the cause of the split.
Two scripts have been penned for the film, and reportedly no one is fond of George Nolfi's take. Josh Zetumer came aboard to write a new one, a decision that irked Greengrass as he wasn't consulted as to the choice of writer. But that's a relatively minor point, as the real problem seems to be Greengrass' free-wheeling style, which has cost Universal millions and millions on every film he's made. While Bourne turned a fine profit, the studio is concerned about Green Zone, which is now estimated to have cost $150 million due to all of Greengrass' famous tinkering. This is a film that doesn't carry the Bourne brand name, and deals with the very un-blockbuster topic of Iraq.
So, Greengrass and Universal have been butting heads, as he wants to continue his usual approach on Bourne 4, and they want him to keep the budget under control. Thus, he's upset at the way he's been treated, and has now walked away. Rumors swirl that he might return, but there's just as much feeling that the studio could hire a new director. This leaves everyone uncertain as to whether Damon would return since he's been famously loyal to Greengrass. For now, everyone is watching the trades to see what'll be announced (and with Damon doing Invictus press, maybe it'll come up unofficially), and hoping for the best. The last thing anyone wants is Bourne without the guys that made it great.
UPDATED: Head after the jump for a statement from Paul Greengrass
Spin-ematical: New on DVD for 12/1
Filed under: New on DVD, Home Entertainment, Cinematical Indie
Terminator Salvation
I suspect McG's movie will play really well at home, with the volume turned up and the surround sound explosions masking the lack of a compelling story and lackluster performances. Everyone from Christian Bale to Anton Yelchin to Sam Worthington to Bryce Dallas Howard was overshadowed by the special effects and the robots running rampant. However, at home you can walk in and out, pause, rewind, and replay -- and yes, freeze frame Moon Bloodgood's extremely brief topless scene -- without harming an essentially harmless movie. Rent it. Also available in a 3-disc Blu-ray edition, with theatrical and director's cut, alternate endings, featurettes, and more
Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Our reviewer, Eric D. Snider, described it as "a mix of genuinely funny performances and highly lazy storytelling. You know how it goes: the plot is inane, but a lot of the dialogue makes you laugh." With Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Robin Williams, Ricky Gervais, and Owen Wilson. Not my cup of tea, but if you're so inclined: Rent it. Also on Blu-ray. Single-disc DVD includes audio commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes with alternate ending, and gag reel. Two-disc "Monkey Mischief" edition add more featurettes and games. The Blu-ray combo pack includes even more featurettes and a standard def DVD.
Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon
Who is that happy couple running? Indies on DVD, more Blu-ray picks, and Collector's Corner - after the jump!
Does 'Paranormal Activity' Deserve a Best Picture Nomination?
Filed under: Awards, Mystery & Suspense, Fandom, Oscar Watch
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The Indie Spirit Awards announced their nominations this morning, honoring a whole bunch of films that were only seen by film critics, artsy intellectuals and/or people who accidentally walked into the wrong theater while on their way to watch Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I kid, of course, because if it wasn't for shows like the Spirit Awards, a number of really great independent films (and performances) would probably go unnoticed. So I command you to check out the list of nominees after the jump and start tracking them down one by one (either in theaters or on DVD). Go! Now!
This year's crop of nominees is definitely stirring the pot a little bit. Surprises include Maria Bello for Best Female Lead in Downloading Nancy, a film that all of about one person (me!) actually enjoyed. 500 Days of Summer also took home a couple nods for Best Feature and Best Male Lead (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and even the viciously panned Gentlemen Broncos walked away with a nod for Best Supporting Male (Jermaine Clement). One of the more interesting (and talked-about) nominations went to Paranormal Activity in the Best First Feature category, alongside other notable indies like A Single Man, Crazy Heart, Easier with Practice and The Messenger.
But does Paranormal Activity really belong there, or is it being honored more because of what it achieved at the box office versus how good it actually is? I've seen some already poking fun at the nomination on Twitter, as if it doesn't deserve to shine the shoes of the other films listed alongside it. But is that just because it doesn't fit the 'Best Picture" mold? Is it because it's become a "fanboy" film?
This Week's Comfort Movie: 'The Blind Side'
Filed under: Drama, New Releases, Warner Brothers, Fandom
The holiday season usually issues forth an avalanche of award-contending dramas, feel-good family films, and oddball counter programming. Last weekend was no exception, with the debuting Old Dogs, Ninja Assassin, and The Road jostling for attention with New Moon and The Blind Side. Of all those movies, the one that jumps out at me is The Blind Side, which actually increased its audience in its second week of release.
That's a pretty rare feat, especially for a wide release, and speaks to the broad appeal of the film. "Yes, Virginia, Sandra Bullock is the biggest female star in the world... again," in the words of David Poland at The Hot Blog, and there's no doubt that Bullock's celebrity, even more than her compelling, measured performance, is a big draw. Yet with big stars like Will Farrell and Jim Carrey failing to bring in the expected box office this year, Bullock is not the whole story. Nor is it only a matter of the movie being "generically acceptable [for families] to watch together over the holiday weekend," as our own Eugene Novikov suggested, although, to be fair, it's likely that 'the Sandie Bullock football movie' would be an easier sell to more families to watch together than 'the bare-chested boy vampire romance' or 'the violent ninja flick.'
No, I think it's clear that positive word of mouth has spread. What have people told their friends? Maybe that the first, widely-seen and frequently-mocked (by me) trailer was not representative of the movie as a whole, which comes by its emotions honestly.
Check Out Concept Art From Marvel's Futuristic Theme Park
Chris Weitz to Direct Two-Part 'Breaking Dawn' Finale?
Girls on Film: The Academy's Shallow Actress Pool_thumbnail.jpg)
Alec Baldwin Becomes Latest to Threaten Retirement
The First 'Iron Man 2' Poster Appears!
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