More info on upcoming “Avatar Day”
More details on the previously announced “Avatar Day” on August 21st.
- The 15 minutes of footage will screen only in 3D at “select cinemas and IMAX theaters.”
- “Details on locations and reserving tickets for this extraordinary and unprecedented experience will be announced soon.”
- The worldwide trailer launch will be presented in all formats, including IMAX® 3-D, IMAX® 2-D, digital 3-D, digital 2-D, and 35mm 2-D. The trailer will also be available online.
- Also on Avatar Day: “Ubisoft will unveil the trailer for their videogame James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game, and Mattel will reveal the action figures for the film’sAvatar and alien Na’vi characters.”
But more importantly…will this unique marketing push work? Will audience’s minds be so blown away that they march straight into line for the full December release? And how will this affect the Inglorious Basterds opening weekend? Will it bring more people to the theater who will want to watch a full length picture after 15 short minutes of Avatar? Or will the marketing push for Avatar Day be so loud that audiences forget Quentin Tarantino has a new film opening?
Avatar Day — will President Obama make this a national holiday?
A Serious Man Trailer
A Serious Man
Release Date: October 2, 2009
This trailer is crazy cool. No name actors. Coen Brother comedy. Scored to the beat of a man’s head against the chalkboard. The Coen Brothers have once again gone back to their dark comedy roots. They have had some hiccups of late (Intolerable Cruelty, Burn After Reading, The Ladykillers), but it’s hard not to have great hope in each new film they release.
Here is the wacky plotline:
The story follows an ordinary mans search for clarity in a universe where Jefferson Airplane is on the radio and F-Troop is on TV. It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik, a physics professor at a quiet midwestern university, has just been informed by his wife Judith that she is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous colleagues, Sy Ableman, who seems to her a more substantial person than the feckless Larry. Larrys unemployable brother Arthur is sleeping on the couch, his son Danny is a discipline problem and a shirker at Hebrew school, and his daughter Sarah is filching money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job. While his wife and Sy Ableman blithely make new domestic arrangements, and his brother becomes more and more of a burden, an anonymous hostile letter-writer is trying to sabotage Larrys chances for tenure at the university. Also, a graduate student seems to be trying to bribe him for a passing grade while at the same time threatening to sue him for defamation. Plus, the beautiful woman next door torments him by sunbathing nude. Struggling for equilibrium, Larry seeks advice from three different rabbis. Can anyone help him cope with his afflictions and become a righteous person; a mensch, a serious man?
We’re hoping A Serious Man is seriously funny (Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski) and not seriously stupid.
In Theater Review: Moon
Moon
Directed by Duncan Jones
Written by Duncan Jones (story) and Nathan Parker (screenplay)
Released: June 12th, 2009 (limited)
FS Verdict: Don’t believe the Rotten Tomatoes score; you can wait for DVD on this one. Worth seeing, just not necessarily in theaters.
I absolutely loved this film. And I absolutely hated it. It was filled with mind bending and thoughtful prose, yet didn’t go far enough. It questioned corporate greed, human nature, right from wrong…but not really. Therein lies the frustration of the directorial debut of Duncan Jones (David Bowie’s son). Moon simply does not go far enough in exploring the questions it raises. With the snail like pace, this 97 minute movie felt more like its inspiration 2001: A Space Odyssey (148 minutes).
Roger Ebert summed up the spoiler free plot line the best:
At some point in the future (we can’t nail down the story’s time frame), this station on the far side is manned by a single crew member, Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) He’s working out the final days of a three-year contract and is close to cracking from loneliness. Talking to loved ones via video link doesn’t satisfy. The station is largely automated; it processes lunar rock to extract Helium-3, used to provide Earth with pollution-free power from nuclear fusion….
The station is large and well-appointed, has entertainment resources and adequate supplies. Sam communicates frequently with the home office … and so does Gerty (a “HAL”-like computer voiced by Kevin Spacey). Sam doesn’t do any actual mining, but his human hands and brain are needed for repairs, maintenance and inspection. One day he’s outside checking up on something, and his lunar rover smashes up. He’s injured and awakens in the station’s medical facility. Continue reading “In Theater Review: Moon” »
Urgent Notice! Rules of the Movie Theater!
Yes, I am that guy.
You as much sneeze near me at the theater, be prepared to get a can of glare. There is nothing more infuriating at the movie theater than those who act as if they have never been in public before. It’s as if all of my pet peeves come together in one dark room. And this summer there seems to be a surge in annoying people at the cineplex. Loud chewing. Talking. Cell phone rings. They all drive me nuts. So for those who understand this pain, please pass these simple rules to all your friends and family. And if you are the culprit, take these to heart. Or fists of fury might fly through the aisles.
1) When the previews/commercials start, keep your mouth shut until the movie is over. I know this is hard for many, but no one wants to hear your commentary on the Fanta commercial. During the Harry Potter preview, I don’t want to overhear how much you loved the books. I have a simple solution to resist the urge of speaking. If you like the preview/commercial, give a thumbs up. If you don’t like it, thumbs down. Practice this and zip the lips.
2) Eat BEFORE entering the theater. Yep, that’s what I paid $12 for…to smell your Rubio’s Carne Asada Burrito and hear you chomping on chips and salsa. Simple test — if it smells, don’t bring it in. The ONLY exception to this rule is popcorn. The smell of popcorn is welcomed. Just chew with your mouth closed!
3) Open your candy box/bag the second you sit down. Honestly, it doesn’t matter if you plan on eating it before the movie or at the end. The ruffling of a bag or plastic will bring a swift kick to the side of your head courtesy of the Film Savior.
4) If you are old and cannot hear, DO NOT bring a translator. I’m sorry that you cannot hear well. I really am. But don’t make it my problem. Bringing your 90 year old husband to repeat the punchline of the joke ruins it for everyone!
What did he say?
He said RA-TARD.
Retard?
No, RA-tard.
What?
5) If you have seen the movie already, do not alert your friends to “pay attention” to what’s coming up. Just keep your mouth shut. Simple enough, right?
6) The cellphone goes OFF…not silent, not vibrate…OFF. Anything besides the “off” button will tempt you to check texts, check voicemail, or simply allow the illumination from the phone mess with my movie going experience.
So unless you want a smackdown, follow these rules. Big Brother is watching. And ready to fight!
WTWTA Featurette – A Love Letter From Author Maurice Sendak
Wow.
This is exactly what we’ve been waiting for. Here is a 3 minute featurette that intermixes an interview with Where the Wild Things Are author Maurice Sendak and never before seen behind the scenes footage. Sendak discusses how the book was not well received from the beginning and it took roughly 2 years for it to finally catch on. Sendak has many kind things to say about director Spike Jonze as well:
“What I’ve seen him do, he’s turned ['Wild things'] into his without giving up mine…with embodying mine with Spike Jonze, and astonishingly it maintains its peculiarness as a work, but it flows throughout. The whole thing is such a strange thing. I’ve never seen a movie that looks like this. It’s his personal this. He’s not afraid of himself. He’s a real artist that let’s it come through the work. So he’s touched me very much.”
If this clip doesn’t hit you at an emotional level or make you want to see this ASAP, then you could very well be dead. Or have a colder heart than Frosty.
The Book of Eli Trailer
Denzel Washington + Swords + The End of the World = Our $12 ticket to see this opening weekend.
The Hughes Brothers (Menace II Society, From Hell) are back from their 9 year hiatus with The Book of Eli. It’s looking like Denzel is taking on the Will Smith “me against the world” role for once. Looking forward to this one.
The release date (January 10th, 2010) does worry us. That’s dumping grounds for questionable films since most moviegoers are worn out from the onslaught of November/December Academy Award films.
National “Avatar” Day — Coming to a Theater Near You
Yesterday during the Avatar panel at Comic-Con, James Cameron made movie geeks across the universe poop their pants: 15 minutes of the film will be screened in digital theaters for free across the globe on August 21. It’s sort of a “put your money where your mouth is scenerio.”
Cameron’s complete announcement:
We’re going to do something unprecedented. It’s a social marketing experiment. We’re going to take over as many IMAX 3D theaters and other select 3D theaters worldwide on August 21 and we’re going to let an international global audience come see 15 minutes of Avatar for free. It’s going to be Avatar day.
Will this “social experiment” help create buzz around the film and 3-D in general? James Cameron keeps calling it a game breaker, so we’ll see. And how will this 8/21 date affect the opening of Inglorious Basterds (same day)? Time will tell….
Brand Spankin’ New: Alice In Wonderland Teaser Trailer
Boom! Here’s a cleaner, higher quality version of the trailer…
To our surprise, the first teaser trailer for Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland just arrived a day early. So much for the big Facebook contest we mentioned yesterday. The music is intense, the visuals are creepy, and the 3-D potential is wonderfully unnerving. The CGI of Tweedledee and Dum looks great in these quick clips as well as the Cheshire Cat. Our disappointment in Charlie & The Chocolate Factory remake is our only hesitation with Depp’s Mad Hatter performance.
It will be quite awhile before the release date (March 5, 2010) but we enjoy the sneak peeks!
Top 5 New DVD Reviews of Movies I’ve Never Seen
Fast and Furious (DVD Release Date: 7/28): All of the original cast is back together–Yay! All of their careers have gone nowhere since the original, and I’m guessing this 4th installment of The Fast and the Furious is NOT going to put them on the map. Haven’t seen it, won’t see it, and I don’t care what you think.
Knowing (DVD Released 7/7): Nicolas Cage can see tragedy in the future. Too bad he didn’t have this ability after winning an Academy Award for Leaving Las Vegas. He should get the Cuba Gooding Jr, award for “Most Terrible Movies Post Oscar.” I know something about this movie…I’ll never see it.
17 Again (DVD Release Date: 8/11): If you’ve lived in a bomb shelter for the past 25 years, this premise will be brilliant. Don’t ever see Big or 13 Going on 30 as the entire premise, storyline, and ending of this movie will be ruined for you. I’ll give it an “F” for originality and “F-” for casting Zak Efron.
Hannah Montana: The Movie (DVD Release Date: 8/18): Don’t ever see this! Even if you are a 12 year old girl…you are a moron. Stick with the Jonas Brothers if you must…but stay far away from this soon to be trainwreck.
Obsessed (DVD Release 8/4): Beyonce, the girl from Heroes, and some other guy in yet another Single White Female, Fatal Attraction hybrid rehash. Girl gets obsessed, girl gets crazy, yada yada yada. Oh, wait. This one is different! This is an interracial version…Phhrrt! Skip it if you want to make the most of your time on this Earth.
Consider yourself saved!
-Corey @ FS
Exclusive: G.I. Joe Clip
Here’s a 2 minute scene from the upcoming G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Lot’s o’ action, some “witty” banter with Marlon Wayans and Channing Tatum, pretty much what you’d expect after seeing the trailer. We still think that this is going to be TERRIBLE, but holding out a bit of hope that it isn’t. Marlon Wayans, Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller…ugh. But good news for LOST fans — Caesar (lasted about 3 episodes this season) and Mr. Eko are in it. That might be worth $12 for casting alone.
New Hi-Res Alice In Wonderland Pics
The buzz around Tim Burton’s 3-D version of Alice In Wonderland is really starting to pick up. Below are 3 hi-res promo pictures. And the first teaser trailer will be released on Thursday, well, to some of us:
“The Loyoal Subjects of the Red Queen, the Loyal Subjects of the White Queen, and the Disloyal Subjects of the Mad Hatter are all building armies on Facebook. The fan page with the biggest army at 4PM PDT on Thursday, July 24 will get to see an exclusive new trailer from Disney’s Alice In Wonderland before anyone else. So be sure to log onto Facebook and choose a side.”
We joined the Mad Hatter army.
Continue reading “New Hi-Res Alice In Wonderland Pics” »