Marvel Unveils Character Posters For The Avengers

As I have stated time and time again, I am all atwitter with anticipation for the May 4th release of The Avengers.  Every little tidbit gets me more and more excited.  Well, the latest bit of hype to hit the Internet is Marvel  unveiling individual character posters for The Avengers roster on their Facebook page .  For the most part these are simply re-worked images from the main poster that hit last month, that I was very lukewarm about.  If nothing else, Captain America looks much more dynamic in these posters and alot less like he is posing for a Ralph Lauren catalog.  Plus, as we all know at this point I am like a crackhead for this kind of stuff.  

Hit the jump to check out all the posters below and let me know what you think.  Do you like these posters more than the first?  Are you just bothered by the photo-shopped images in general?  Leave a comment below and let your voice be heard!

John Carter Review

I am a huge fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom series of books. From the first time I picked up A Princess of Mars as a teenager, I have been in love with the Mars(or Barsoom as the natives call it) that Edgar Rice Burroughs created.  The Mars that John Carter, the ex-Confederate cavaly officer of Virginia, was miraculously transported to was a world of mystery, giant airships, 15 foot tall green men, terrifying monsters, noble warriors, beautiful maidens and high adventure.  With John Carter's earthly muscles giving him super strength and the ability to jump hundreds of feet, the stories of Barsoom were an amazing amalgamation of any type of story you could want.  The stories of John Carter were westerns, superhero tales,  sci-fi, romance and adventure all rolled into one . . . they were just plain fun.  Since first reading A Princess of Mars all those years ago I have re-read it and its sequels cover to cover half a dozen times.  In that time I naturally imagined what a John Carter of Mars movie would be.  Over the years as different productions started and stopped, different names got attached and then left, I was always visualising what could and should be in a John Carter movie.

That's why sitting down to review the John Carter movie that was made, is so difficult.  As I was watching John Carter I felt torn between what I've been imagining for years and what I was actually seeing on screen. It's so easy to let the fanboy in yourself take over and pick something apart.  I can sit here and bitch about how John Carter gets to Mars, why the Green Men aren't 15 ft tall, why the White Apes are blind, why Therns are even in the movie, why Tars Tarkas starts as Jeddak and more . . . but, that's not really fair the film.  Roger Ebert, the most influential film critic in my life, often says that when criticizing a film you can't criticize what you wish the movie was, but instead you must only criticize what the film is attempting to be.  It would be totally unfair for me to sit here and say, well that isn't a movie that I imagined and would want, because I am not the one making the movie. Andrew Stanton, the talented director of Finding Nemo and Wall-E, was the one who created this film.  This is Andrew Stanton's John Carter of Mars.

That's the thing that I didn't quite understand when I was walking into the theater, and was probably more than a little naive about.  Since I largely stayed away from marketing materials I had partially convinced myself, or maybe deluded myself with false hope, that we would be getting Edgar Rice Burroughs A Princess of Mars projected up on the screen.  What I had failed to consider before the film was that we were watching Andrew Stanton's John Carter.  As I was watching the movie there were moments that felt jarring to me.  It wasn't a failing of the film-makers communicating with the audience, but rather me seeing the film through the prism of an Edgar Rice Burroughs fan first.  My mind felt constantly engaged with questions like,why are they doing that here, why did they change that, why did they leave that out, why is that character so different from the book?  Despite my reservations as a Burroughs' fan, I could not deny the obvious successes of much of the movie as well.  Upon reflection since seeing the film I feel like I have been able to create better separation in my mind between Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of Mars and Andrew Stanton's John Carter.

The way that I've explained and reconciled it with myself is the idea that the movie John Carter is not an adaptation of the book A Princess of Mars, but rather Andrew Stanton's John Carter is an adaptation of the character John Carter.  The Harry Potter films were attempting to directly translate JK Rowlings' novels to the screen as faithfully as possible, but no one expects Batman movies to be a direct translation of any particular run of Detective Comics.  We all understand that when we sit down in a theater to watch a Batman film that we may be getting Tim Burton's Batman or Joel Schumacher's Batman or Christopher Nolan's Batman and each film-maker is reinterpreting the character in their own way; not only do we understand this, but we embrace it.  We don't get upset by the deviations from take to take, we love them because they are all celebrations of different aspects of the same great whole.  Taking each individual artist's differing perspectives together they all add to our understanding and appreciation for the richness of the character and his mythos.  I believe that's the best way to look at Andrew Stanton's John Carter.  By making the movie John Carter unapologetically different from the source material, we are given new aspects of the property to embrace and enjoy.  By diverting so largely from the original books, Andrew Stanton is able to make the property feel incredibly fresh and current, even for people who have known the characters and story for years or decades.

What drove this point home was a sequence that occurs about halfway through the film. What makes this particular scene so important was that in addition to being the most effective scene in the entire movie, that it's impact was largely based on aspects of the story which were a complete creation of the filmmakers. I don't want to go into too much detail for fear of spoiling the moment.  I can tell you that the sequence involves John Carter battling a green Martian war-host single-handedly and that battle is intercut with events that were not created by Edgar Rice Burroughs.  In fact, it could be argued that the events of the flash back were antithetical to the character that Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote about in his stories.  When I was watching this scene I wasn't thinking about that though.  I wasn't worrying about the differences between what was on the screen and what I had read so many times before.  I was simply in awe of the emotion of the moment.  As I sat there in the theater watching this sequence I literally had goosebumps on my arms.  Seeing a point for point reference copy of 100 year old story doesn't give you goosebumps, great film-making does.  That moment in the film made me realize that, even if this wasn't the John Carter of the books that I'd enjoyed so many times over the years, this was still a John Carter that deserves my attention.  This John Carter deserves to be experienced and enjoyed for what he is, rather than ignored or scorned for what he isn't.

Andrew Stanton's John Carter is a beautiful science-fiction fantasy film, the kind of which we don't get to see out of Hollywood often enough.  The sheer artistry on display in this movie at some points is quite literally breathtaking.  The entire production, from the lavish costumes, set design and creature design to the expert CGI, displayed a level of imagination and skill that is stunning.  Regardless of how accurate any particular aspect of the production was, everything on screen was beautiful and had a tangibility to it.   We could sit and squabble about where the green Martians eyes should be on his head, or exactly how his tusks should protrude, but what is unassailable is that Andrew Stanton and his team were able to create green men of Mars that were real for us, not to mention White Apes, Airships, Martian Dogs and more!  That a believable Barsoom was delivered to us is something that truly deserves applause.

That isn't to say that John Carter is a perfect film outside of fanboy nitpicking, there are some legitimate criticisms that can be brought against it.  For example, there are some plot issues which make the story seem a little artificially convoluted and unnecessarily cluttered.  This is a disappointment coming from a director whose previous efforts were so effortlessly and beautifully streamlined.  It's also worth noting that the exposition is at times handled a bit clumsily.  The beginning of the film literally takes place in three different time periods on two different planets with two separate narrators, and it just feels a little unnecessarily muddled.  Probably the single biggest criticism of the film though is that a lot of the characters are simply underdeveloped.  By the end of the movie we know the names of Tars Tarkas, Sab Than, Tal Hajus and Sola but we don't feel a great emotional attachment, understanding or investment in the characters.  Aside from John Carter himself, and to a lesser extent Dejah Thoris, the characters are generally archetypes rather than real characters with them their own emotions, stories, morals and motivations.  I don't think of this as a failing of the actors, who turn in good performances, as much as the amount of time in the script that is spent on unnecessary plotting rather than characterization.  But if the biggest thing you are criticizing in a science-fiction epic is a lacking of deep character development the movie must be doing alot right.

I said in my opening paragraph John Carter was a hard movie for me to wrap my head around. Not because it was a poor film, but because it wasn't the movie I had dreamed of and was hoping for. But, that isn't fair to myself as a film fan or to the movie and it's director.  It's a minor miracle that John Carter even exists, let alone that Disney was willing to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into a first-time live-action director like Andrew Stanton. There a lot of conversations that can be had about what direction and decisions Stanton made or could or should have made with regard to the film.  What is undeniable though is that he made a rip-roaring sci-fi adventure flick that is gorgeous to look at, technologically awe-inspiring and a hell of alot of fun.  If, like me, you're a huge fan of the books and have read them numerous times, or very recently, some aspects of the film might be a little offputting; but, it's worth the effort to fight through that to see what enjoyment these filmmakers have to offer separate from your book experience.  For people who are unfamiliar with John Carter, or those that haven't read the books in a few years,  I can't recommend John Carter enough.  Despite any shortcomings it is a film that sparks the imagination and takes you to another world in a believable and real way.  We are lucky whenever we can get a film to do that for us. So, while John Carter may not be a perfect translation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of Mars and it may not be a flawless narrative film, it is without a doubt an awesome movie to behold and alot of fun along the way.  Andrew Stanton's John Carter is a film that absolutely deserves your attendance,excitement and recognition.

New Poster For Wes Anderson's Film Moonrise Kingdom

I have always been conflicted about my feelings towards Wes Anderson.  In every one of his films I can see and respect his control and talent as a film-maker, but aside from The Fantastic Mr Fox I have always been utterly unable to connect to his films in any way.  I always feel a sense of coldness and separation from his characters; I don't know if that is his intent, but the massive amount of artifice in his movies is off-putting to me.  This isn't to disparage his skill as a director, simply a statement of my inability to fully engage with his movies.  I really want to find that Wes Anderson movie that will click for me, but it hasn't happened yet.  Maybe Moonrise Kingdom will be that movie.

The new one-sheet poster for Moonrise Kingdom was just released.  Like most of Anderson's work, it presents a beautiful image filled with artifice and just a hint of melancholy.  The poster shows the two young leads of the film, which I think is a nice touch instead of focusing on the much bigger name adult stars of the film like Edward Norton, Bruce Willis and Bill Murray.  The movie tells the story of a boy and girl who decide to run away together and the town's reaction to their having gone missing.  It will be interesting to see how I feel one the movie hits later this year.

So, take a look at the poster below, and let me know what you guys think.  Are you a Wes Anderson fan?  Or, do you have trouble getting into his films as well?  What do you think of the poster?  Leave a comment and let your voice be heard!

Image Of Armie Hammer & Johhny Depp In The Lone Ranger

Jerry Bruckheimer just posted on Twitter our first image of the duo from new Lone Ranger film.  The movie stars Armie Hammer as The Lone Ranger and Johnny Depp as his faithful sidekick Tonto.  The production is currently shooting and will be released in 2013.

I really like the more dapper look that Armie Hammer has in this picture compared to the classic Ranger style, but it is going to take seeing footage for me to believe in Depp's Tonto.  I am certainly hopeful for this movie because Gore Verbinski, the director of the film, did a hell of a job launching The Pirates of The Caribbean franchise.  My concern is that in each sequel Depp's Capt Jack Sparrow became more of an over the top burden for the audience endure, rather than the hammy treat he was in Curse of the Black Pearl.  This image of him as Tonto just screams, offbeat and slightly silly to me; which isn't necessarily a bad thing as long as it is in moderation.  Only time will tell if Tonto works or not, but what is unarguable is that the costumes look great in a still photo.

I want to know what you guys think.  Are you looking forward to The Lone Ranger?  Are you worried Depp's silly antics are going to dominate the film, or are you a died in the wool Sparrow apologist?  Leave a comment below and let your voice be heard!

PTA's Latest Film Will Release This Fall!

Paul Thomas Anderson is my favorite living director not named Scorsese.  For almost half my life, from age 15, I have had connection with Paul Thomas Anderson's films that is hard to describe.  I still remember watching that opening shot of Boogie Nights for the first time and feeling like I was just smacked in the head, from that moment on I was as passionate a Paul Thomas Anderson fan as there is.  I used to talk about him so incessantly that for my 19th birthday, in 2001, my buddies in the dorm(furthest thing from cinephiles you could get) gave me Magnolia and Boogie Nights for my shiny new DVD player with a fake note written from Anderson to myself.  I don't know how, but Anderson's films speak to me on an almost primal level, it's like he has direct access to my mind & soul and is able to create films that perfectly speak some universal truth to me.  This may sound like hyperbole to you, but I can say without qualifier that Anderson has never made a less than perfect film, and three of his movies are timeless masterpieces.  The only film-makers I can think of who have that type of track record are Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese and Orson Welles.  Needless to say, when a movie from Paul Thomas Anderson is on the horizon it's hard for me to overstate the anticipation that I feel.

That's why I have a big smile on my face when I say that, Cigarette & Red Vines was able to confirm with Megan Ellison, the producer of Anderson's next film, that we can expect to see PTA's latest opus this fall.  The news about the film(tentatively titled The Master) came as a tweet in direct response to Cigarettes & Redvines:

@cigsandredvines I know you guys are waiting on a release date for 'the Master', and it's still a bit early, but I'd keep my eyes on October

This is extremely good news because the film has been constantly dogged by problems and it has been extremely murky as to when when the movie would be finished.  At one point the film didn't look like it would even be made and more recently rumors were circling that the movie wouldn't release until mid to late 2013.  So a mid-fall release for the movie seems like a pleasant surprise.

The film, which will star Philip Seymour Hoffman, is about a man who upon returning from World War II is so disgusted by the horrors of man starts his own religion in response.  While it has been a topic of speculation how much the film is directly telling the story of L Ron Hubbard(the founder of Scientology), I think it would be safe to assume this could be PTA's Citizen Kane.  Just as Charles Foster Kane was and was not William Randolph Hearst, one way or another I'm sure this movie will be an exploration and discussion of the idea and spirit of the man regardless of it's "historical significance".

As you can tell I am an unapologetic PTA admirer and am over the moon about this news.  But, I want to know what you guys think.  Do you take this as good news, or are you shrugging your shoulders right now?   Are you Looking forward to The Master, or are you not a Paul Thomas Anderson fan?  Make sure to leave a comment below and let your voice be heard!

Kristen Bell Will Star In Frozen, Disney's Snow Queen Film

Kristen Bell has just been cast as the lead in Disney's animated adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen, which will be titled Frozen. Frozen will tell the story two friends, a boy and girl, and the girl's quest to save her friend after he has been kidnapped by the Snow Queen.  The movie has taken on various forms over the last few years and will now be  a computer animated film as opposed to the previously announced version as a hand drawn affair.  It remains murky if Alan Menken(Beauty and the Beast) is still attached to do the music, but Chris Buck the director of Disney's Tarzan is confirmed to be helming the film which will hit theaters on November 27, 2013.

One thing that isn't made clear by THR is exactly what character Bell will be playing.  While it confirms she will be playing the "lead", by providing both the speaking and singing voices, it is less clear whom they consider the lead to be.  It would seem equally reasonable to imagine Bell as either the Snow Queen or the young protagonist, so this detail still needs a little sorting out.  Either way, I take this as great news.

Kristen Bell is an actress I am really fond of, and deserves to have a higher profile career than she currently has.  I am always interested in anything she attaches herself to and it is extremely hard to go wrong with Disney Animation.  Even the fact that the movie will be computer generated isn't off-putting to me.

I would love to see more cell-animated films coming out of Disney(like the criminally underseen The Princess and the Frog) I can't complain simply because it isn't hand-drawn.  Just a couple of years ago I would have argued that Disney Animation should have ignored CG animation, let that be the exclusive realm of Pixar, and stayed with traditional animation.  Tangled made me eat alot of humble pie.  I absolutely adored Tangled and it proved to me beyond a shadow of doubt that a computer animated Disney film can work.  Tangled not only matched the warmth, beauty, style and most important spirit of a their classic hand drawn films, but showed that CG animation could bring something unique and exciting to these movies as well.  I have no interest in seeing more generic kiddie CG films like Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons and Bolt; but seeing more films in the mould of Tangled is makes me very happy indeed.

I want to know what you think.  Are you disappointed that the movie won't be hand-drawn?  Did Tangled change your perceptions on Disney Animated movies?  Which part do you think is more likely for Bell, the Queen or the girl?  Leave a comment below and let your voice be heard!

Dwayne Johnson Cast In Two Action Roles, Including Hercules

Dwayne Johnson seems to be filling up his dance card for the foreseeable future very quickly.  He has stated that he will begin filming Fast Six in May, he is committed to co-starring with Mark Wahlberg in Michael Bay's crime film Pain and Gain and today it was announced that he would be signing onto not one, but two other projects!

Dwayne Johnson has just signed on to star in an action thriller named Ciudad.  The movie will be written and co-directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, based on a yet unreleased graphic novel they also wrote.  According to Deadline, Johnson will play a,"black market mercenary hired by a Brazilian drug lord to rescue his kidnapped daughter" in "one of the most dangerous and corrupt cities in the world."  It's difficult to get any type of idea what this movie will ultimately be; the source material hasn't even been released yet and the Russo brothers have only made one theatrical film(You, Me and Dupree) and worked almost exclusively in TV comedy up until this point.  Something about the project obviously attracted Johnson to the  project, so it will be interesting to see how it turns out.  This isn't the only action film Johnson has signed onto today though.

According to Variety, Johnson has now committed to playing the titular character in Brett Ratner's  Hercules. Johnson seems like a natural and quality choice to fill the sandal's of Hercules in the movie based on the comic Hercules: The Thracian Wars.  I'm not much of a believer in Brett Ratner as a director but hopefully he will surprise us with a quality movie.  Even if it doesn't rise to the level of great film-making, even schlocky Greek myth can serve as decent guilty pleasure.  The basis certainly seems to be there for a rip roaring action film. I haven't read the comic but the description on Amazon makes it sound akin to God of War.
Hercules: The Thracian Wars

Nearly 3,200 years ago, a tormented soul walked the Earth as neither man nor god: Hercules, powerful son of the god-king Zeus, and for this he received nothing but suffering. After 12 arduous labors and the loss of his family, this dark, world-weary soul turned his back on the gods, finding solace only in bloody battle. Over the years, he warmed to the company of six similar souls, bonded by their love of fighting and the presence of death never questioning where they go or who they fight, just how much they will be paid. Now the King of Thrace has hired these mercenaries to turn his men into the greatest army of all time, which means training them to be as bloodthirsty and ruthless as their own reputation. It is time for this band of lost souls to finally have their eyes opened to how far they have fallen and the narrow, perilous path to their own redemption.

Between the above description and the artwork on this page, it appears this movie will continue the mould of 300 and Immortals as a visually strinking and violent action film.  It doesn't look like we are going to be getting Bullfinch's Mythology, but were we really expecting that?

I want to know what you guys think.  Do these movies sound promising, or is Johnson signing on to be the best thing in some more mediocre films?  Leave a comment and let your voice be heard!

RIP Ralph McQuarrie

Movies lost one of the great unsung heroes of sci-fiction films over the weekend.  Ralph McQuarrie, the visionary conceptual artist who helped George Lucas literally shape and define the Star Wars universe, lost his life at the age of 82.  The Star Wars universe was born in Lucas's imagination, but it didn't start to become a tangible place that the rest of us could visit until McQuarrie made it real with his talents as an artist.  McQuarrie was the first one who had to figure out what a Light-saber looked like, how an X-wing flew and of course help define the iconic visage of Darth Vader.  We have lost a giant of imagination.  

George Lucas has released a brief statement on StarWars.com which you can read here:

"I am deeply saddened by the passing of such a visionary artist and such a humble man. Ralph McQuarrie was the first person I hired to help me envision Star Wars. His genial contribution, in the form of unequaled production paintings, propelled and inspired all of the cast and crew of the original Star Wars trilogy. When words could not convey my ideas, I could always point to one of Ralph's fabulous illustrations and say, 'Do it like this.'

"Beyond the movies, his artwork has inspired at least two generations of younger artists—all of whom learned through Ralph that movies are designed. Like me, they were thrilled by his keen eye and creative imagination, which always brought concepts to their most ideal plateau. In many ways, he was a generous father to a conceptual art revolution that was born of his artwork, and which seized the imaginations of thousands and propelled them into the film industry. In that way, we will all be benefiting from his oeuvre for generations to come. Beyond that, I will always remember him as a kind and patient, and wonderfully talented, friend and collaborator."

—George Lucas

Ralph McQuarrie

1929 – 2012

Josh Brolin Makes The MIB3 Trailer Look Good

I've never been a Men In Black fan.  The first film wasn't terrible, but it wasn't anything special either.  The second film wasn't even as mediocre as the original and I figured at that point the franchise was totally dead and even if it continued I wouldn't be interested in any subsequent films.  Now comes along MIB3 and despite my better judgment my interest is piqued.

This isn't to say that the newest trailer shows any type of new direction to earn my intrigue.  Nope, it looks like the same old goofy CGI, digs at odd celebrities and obvious one-liners that felt tired when this franchise launched back in the 90's.  The tone is certainly consistent with the previous movies, because most of this footage looks like it could be deleted scenes from the earlier movies.  What has me developing a desire to see this movie is Josh Brolin's seemingly note-perfect performance as a younger Tommy Lee Jones.  I know that I shouldn't allow myself to be drawn into the obvious hype that the studio is trying to use as a hook, but I just can't help it. I'm sure I'm going to regret it, but Josh Brolin may just get me into the theater for a third MIB.

You can't judge me though. Take a look at the newly released trailer below and tell me Brolin doesn't make you smile.  If you can watch this trailer and not be a little interested in checking out his performance you are a better man than I.  So watch and leave a comment below to let me know what you think.

Academy Awards Reaction

Another Academy Awards has come and gone.  To me the biggest take-away from the show itself, is that even if Billy Crystal is the best Oscar host in the last 30 yrs his time has passed. His hosting was perfectly serviceable, but instead of being familiar and fun it just felt like a retread that wasn't as funny as it used to be.  To be frank, aside from a couple of decent zingers, the same old-timey jokes he's used before were a bit boring. For my money the best host from the last few years was Hugh Jackman.  It is a bit ironic because I was not expecting anything from him, but that guy put on a show.  Hugh Jackman showed he can sing, he can dance, he is funny(and topical) with charisma and class to spare.  Crystal was always my favorite but it is time to put him out to pasture and bring Jackman back ASAP.

In terms of the actual awards there weren't too many surprises.  If you read my Oscar predictions articles you could see that I got 17 out of 21 correct, so the awards mostly fell how we thought they would. To me the two biggest "upsets" of the evening were Jean Dujardain winning  for Best Actor and Viola Davis not taking home the prize for Best Actress. Dujardain and Meryl Streep are both fantastic actors who gave great performances so it's tough to hold a grudge, but for my money George Clooney and Viola Davis turned in the far superior performances.

The award I was particularly disappointed in was Best Picture.  Now, don't get me wrong I love The Artist, but The Descendants was an almost revelation of a movie.  The Descendants did some of the hardest things to do in a film and made it look both effortless and immediate.  The Descendants using a naturalistic, sincere and truthful style of film-making was able to make a film about the real and sometimes awkwardness of everyday life.  The Descendants was able to make the mundane engaging and important.  The Descendants was a film that deserved to win the night's biggest award and upset The Artist.

Regardless of what you or I thought of the final awards though, we had some fantastic movies in 2011 that we can treasure in the years to come.  To put a capstone on the year in movies 2011 gave us, I will be unveiling my top ten list on Wednesday.  And, then it'll be time to move on to what we can look forward to in 2012, starting with John Carter this coming Friday!

I want to know what you think, so take a look at the a results below leave a comment.  Who do you think got snubbed?  Did you agree with most of the winners?  How did you do on your Oscar ballot?  Let your voice be heard, and make sure to the podcast on Friday for complete Oscar breakdown and reactions.


Visual Effects
Winner - Hugo
Prediction - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Sound Mixing
Winner - Hugo
Prediction - Hugo


Sound Editing
Winner - Hugo
Prediction - War Horse


Live Action Short Film
Winner - The Shore
No Prediction

Animated Short Film
Winner - The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
No Prediction

Original Song
Winner - Man or Muppet
Prediction - Man or Muppet

Original Score
Winner - The Artist
Prediction - The Artist


Makeup
Winner - The Iron Lady
Prediction - The Iron Lady

Foreign Language Film
Winner - A Separation
Prediction - A Separation


Film Editing
Winner - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Prediction - Moneyball

Documentary Short Film
Winner - Saving Face
No Prediction

Documentary Feature
Winner - Undefeated
Prediction - Undefeated

Costume Design
Winner - The Artist
Prediction - The Artist

Cinematography
Winner - Hugo
Predication - Hugo

Art Direction
Winner - Hugo
Prediction - Hugo

Original Screenplay
Winner - Midnight in Paris
Prediction - Midnight in Paris

Adapted Screenplay
Winner - The Descendants
Prediction - The Descendants

Animated Feature
Winner - Rango
Prediction - Rango

Supporting Actress
Winner - Octavia Spencer
Prediction - Octavia Spencer


Actress
Winner - Merly Streep
Prediction - Viola Davis

Supporting Actor
Winner - Christopher Plummer
Prediction - Christopher Plummer

Actor
Winner - Jean Dujardain
Prediction - Jean Dujardain

Director
Winner - Michel Hazanavicius
Prediction - Michel Hazanavicius

Picture
Winner - The Artist
Prediction - The Artist

Frankenweenie Trailer Looks Good?!

I have been really pessimistic about Tim Burton for the last decade or so.  His recent movies don't seem to be original visions anymore so-much as just the application of a certain brand and aesthetic to as many pre-existing properties as possible.  That is a huge disappointment coming from a director who brought us three near perfect films(Beatlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood).  It would be really easy to roll our eyes at the fact that he is now remaking his own short-film Frankenweenie, as a stop-motion feature, as the ultimate in creative bankruptcy.  Maybe we shouldn't be so quite to condemn on this project though.

I am really digging everything we have seen from this movie so far.  Whether it was the Frankenweenie poster or now this movie trailer; Frankenweenie is starting to look like a movie worth paying attention too.  I love that the film is black and white and the mood from this preview instantly takes me back to the original film.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but Frankenweenie looks good!  Who knows, maybe the Tim Burton we used to love will rise from the grave.

Watch the trailer and let me know what you think.  Am I off my rocker?  Is this just more disposable crap from Burton?  Do you think Burton never lost it and I'm full of it?  Is Frankenweenie a movie you are looking forward to?  Leave a comment below!  

Indiana Jones Collection Will Hit Blu-ray This Fall!

Today is a great day to be a geek?  "Why?", you may ask?  Because our long national nightmare is over . . . we will finally be getting Indiana Jones on Blu-ray as we all deserve!  If you aren't stoked for this, then you either aren't human or simply haven't discovered the blessing that is Blu-ray.  I know I have been waiting a few years for this announcement, so I'm sure many of you have as well.

The set will release this fall and contain all four of the franchise's films along with a, "collection of documentaries, interviews, featurettes and a few new surprises."  If the gorgeous Star Wars set released last summer is any indication we should be in for something really special with this collection.  And, any of you complaining about the inclusion of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, get over it.  It is a fun movie that honors the originals, is no more far-fetched or cartoony than the previous movies and is at least as good as The Last Crusade.

So what do you guys think?  Are you as excited about this as I am?  Or, are you not on the Blu-ray bandwagon yet?  Leave a comment below!

If you want to place a pre-order on Amazon you can do that right here:

You can read the full press release below:

ONLY ONE NAME DEFINES THE ULTIMATE HERO…

ONLY ONE FORMAT DELIVERS THE ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE…

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THE COMPLETE INDIANA JONES

FILM COLLECTION COMES TO BLU-RAY!

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (February 29, 2012) – The man with the hat is back – and looking better than ever! The world’s favorite globe-trotting archaeologist is, at long last, embarking on his greatest adventure – when The Complete Indiana Jones Blu-ray Collection comes to Blu-ray Disc from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Paramount Home Media Distribution. The Complete Indiana Jones Blu-ray Collection will be excavated in the fall of 2012 and will include all four of Indy’s thrilling adventures, using the highest possible high definition picture and audio presentation – along with a “best of” collection of documentaries, interviews, featurettes and a few new surprises.

About Paramount Home Media Distribution

Paramount Home Media Distribution (PHMD) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.  PPC is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands.  The PHMD division oversees PPC’s home entertainment, digital and television distribution activities worldwide. The division is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment content on behalf of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, CBS and PBS and for providing home entertainment fulfillment services for DreamWorks Animation Home Entertainment.  PHMD additionally manages global licensing of studio content and distribution across worldwide digital and television distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices and emerging technologies.

Lucasfilm, Indiana Jones™ and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd.  All rights reserved.  All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

New Trailer For The Avengers!

I can't wait for the Avenger's to hit theaters.  If it isn't my most anticipated movie of the year, it is certainly in my top three . . . and, that's where my struggle comes in.  I am so excited for this movie that I want to devour every little bit of information that I can.  If you listen to Nickel-Eye NewsCast though, you know that not only do I find it hard to contain my excitement but I want to keep an air of at least some mystery around this movie.  I have been conflicted ever since this newest trailer has been released.  You have no idea how much I want to click and watch this ad, but I just won't let myself.  Between the teaser after Captain America, the Superbowl spot I couldn't ignore and all the set photos that have been floating around, I feel like I already know more than I should.  Even if I haven't been perfect about my cone of silence, I am gona stay strong on this one . . . but that doesn't measn you need too!

I want my readers to decide for themselves if they want to check the latest trailer out.  So I have posted it below to tempt you.  So feel free to check it out, and if you do make sure you leave a comment about what you think, since I won't be seeing it for myself! (Just stay away from specifics and spoilers or I will hunt you down like a dog!)  So check it out and leave a comment below!