I have mixed feelings about the return of the Ridley Scott & Russell Crowe. The Robin Hood trailer seems like a remake of the Gladiator.
Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian? All my doubts are suddenly washed away by a torrent of relief!
Archive for the 'News bits' Category
Gladiator 2.0
Published by January 2nd, 2010 in Digital Technology, Film School, News bits and Storytelling. 3 CommentsAdidas Star Wars
Published by November 24th, 2009 in Film School, News bits and Research / Influences. 0 CommentsOf course, Star Wars merchandise has little (if anything) to do with the world of independent filmmaking. However, I find the concept of Star Wars sneakers strangely attractive!
Prince of Persia workout
Published by November 7th, 2009 in Digital Technology, Film School, News bits, Research / Influences and Storytelling. 0 Comments
Now, Jake was pretty ripped in both Jarhead and Brokeback Mountain.
He takes it to a whole new level for the Prince of Persia. The Jerry Bruckheimer’s production seems to be of epic scope indeed, since Jake has an year to get in character: note the hair, it’s not a wig (I think).
I find it amazing that someone in Hollywood has “underwritten” transferring Prince of Persia to the big screen – as a summer blockbuster too.
Effectively, this is a $150-million one-way bet on video games. Uwe Boll shot video game movies in Canada for 10M and barely broke even. Some even claim he did it for tax purposes, as German investors could write off the losses as an “investment in art.”
I can tell you right now what the NEXT game movie blockbuster is going to be. Sam Raimi was attached as Director to a World of Warcraft movie. Blizzard makes a billion a year in revenues from their MMO, I’m certain they can fork up $150 million.
Spinal Tap goes to 11
Published by October 25th, 2009 in Film School, News bits, Research / Influences and Storytelling. 0 CommentsI’m a big Spinal Tap fan and I just caught it on TV. Like good wine, this mockumentary gets better with age! Check out this classic segment:
Warcraft movie gets a screenwriter
Published by October 14th, 2009 in Digital Technology, Film School, News bits and Storytelling. 0 CommentsYou’ve probably heard that Blizzard has embarked on a quest to extend the World of Warcraft into a movie franchise.
Wired announced that Robert Rodat (the screenwriter of Saving Private Ryan) has been working on a draft for Director Sam Raimi.
That’s my first concern, when hearing about a game-based movie – the script. Uwe Boll has created a dozen of infamous movies with mediocre (putting it mildly) scripts.
I still think a Diablo horror movie based on Diablo will work MUCH, much better for Blizzard but it’s pretty obvious they want to exploit WoW’s popularity while it lasts. I hope they want to release Diablo 3 first to spark up Diablo’s popularity.
Sony HVR-Z5U
Published by October 12th, 2009 in Digital Technology, Film School, HD Cameras, News bits and Video Production. 0 Comments
Sony HVR-Z5U is the same Sony HVR Z7U, however, Sony has fixed the lens on this one. Let’s find out if it’s such a good move.
First off, the new Sony HVR-Z5U is affordable – $4200 street price ($4950 list). It’s in the same league price-wise as Sony Z1 and a bit more expensive than Sony FX1 and Sony FX7. It’s very competitive pricing considering a Panasonic HVX200 goes for more than $4,200 – and in some stores it goes to $5,000.
Let’s examine what could make you upgrade to Sony HVR-Z7U – it usually costs about $1,200 more. Both camcorders use the same electronics. The controls and I/O are a bit different but it’s more a matter of personal preference rather than anything “measurable”. The key difference is the lens – the Z7U has a 12x Zeiss lens that can be REMOVED. Just so you know, this is where your $1,200 will be going – giving you flexibility to change the lens.
The lens on the Sony HVR-Z5U is a fixed 20x Sony “G” zoom lens. In this, Sony is consistent – all its camcorders in this range have sported a similar lens – all the way back to (my beloved) Sony VX2000.
If you’re easily impressed by ZOOMs, Sony estimates the 35mm equivalent is 29.5mm – 590mm! Impressive! If you go with the Z7U, it stops at about 380mm. So in practical terms, you get a lot more tele from the fixed 20x lens. Frankly, I’m not a big bird watcher, so zoom isn’t that important to me. However, if you plan to shoot architectural videos, you might need a wider lens (or adapter).
Same as the Sony Z7U, this camcorder uses the new Sony’s ClearVid CMOS with 1440×810 photosites. Through extrapolation (i.e. software), Sony achieves 1080 resolution. The sensor deliver very similar picture to full resolution 1920×1080 sensors which cost a LOT more.
So in conclusion – do you need it? If you already have a Sony Z1 or comparable, you probably don’t need to upgrade just yet (unless money is no object).
If you’re in the market for a new camera, the Sony HVR-Z5U is a very solid choice and comes highly recommended from all the reviewers I follow. The only caveat is the fixed lens but let’s admit it, at $4,200 you won’t find a camera with a removable lens anyway.
Droidmaker – free book download
Published by October 12th, 2009 in Digital Technology, Film School, News bits, Software, Storytelling and Video Production. 0 Comments
Michael Rubin, an author of books on Mac and editing, has decided to give away his Droidmaker book for free!
The book describes in detail the development of nonlinear editing (NLE) and computer graphics. The book is written from his perspective of working with Lucasfilm and Pixar.
I think this could be a valuable tool for independent filmmakers too, after all, the cost of doing computer effects has been falling steadily.
Polanski’s fate still undecided
Published by October 7th, 2009 in Film School, News bits and Storytelling. 1 CommentRoman Polanski found himself in jail facing extradition to the USA, when he tried to attend a film festival in Switzerland.
According to the NYT: “Roman Polanski lost his first bid to win his freedom Tuesday as the Swiss Justice Ministry rejected an appeal by the 76-year-old to be immediately released from prison, an official said.”
Galli told The Associated Press that the risk was too great for the government to accept bail or other security measures in exchange for the release of the filmmaker who is wanted by U.S. authorities for having sex in 1977 with a 13-year-old girl.
Polanski was apprehended Sept. 26 as he arrived in Zurich to receive an award from a film festival. Authorities in Los Angeles consider him a convicted felon and a fugitive, and Switzerland says there has been an international warrant out on him since 2005.
His legal representatives are also asking Switzerland’s highest criminal court to free Polanski. Galli said the Justice Ministry has submitted a letter to the tribunal explaining why it opposes release even on bail.
So the Oscar-winning director remains in jail with very little chance to get himself off the hook (again, that NYT story). At the time of his arrest he was working on The Ghost, a movie starring Pierce Brosnan and Ewan McGregor.
Sam Raimi joins Warcraft movie
Published by July 24th, 2009 in Digital Technology, Film School, News bits, Research / Influences and Storytelling. 1 CommentBlizzard have just announced that Sam Raimi joins the team working on a Warcraft movie. Now, I can understand where their excitement is coming from. After all Sam Raimi has turned the Spiderman franchise into a goose that lays golden eggs.
And on the surface, you could say that Warcraft and Spiderman aren’t that different. Both are cartoony and appeal to nerds.
However, I can’t imagine what a scrip meeting will be like … in Blizzard’s Global domination HQ. Sam will want to limit the protagonists to a reasonable trio, with one being a love interest and one being the comic relief (see Conan). Blizzard will argue that a party of three will get nowhere even if they have been twinked up. Plus, PVP isn’t balanced in groups of three.
A Diablo movie on the other hand will be Sam Raimi’s dream come true. After all, he made his name with the Evil Dead (at least in my book). Total nightmare, one protagonist… hell, he could use the already excellent Diablo 2 cinematics as a jumping point!
Worst of all, when the Warcraft movie gets awful reviews, Uwe Boll will be telling everyone that he was the first to come up with the recipe for turning a good game into an awful movie.
RIP Karl Malden
Published by July 8th, 2009 in Book/DVD Reviews, Film School, News bits, Research / Influences and Storytelling. 0 CommentsKarl Malden stars in one of my favorite movies – Patton. Admittedly, the role of general Omar Bradley isn’t the one he’ll be remembered for… but frankly, A Streetcar Named Desire isn’t on my favorite movie list.
What an amazing career – spanning 60 years! Rest in peace.
Sasha Grey admits to 200 movies
Published by July 8th, 2009 in Book/DVD Reviews, Film School, Movie Reviews, News bits and Storytelling. 0 CommentsSasha Grey recently starred in the indie movie The Girlfriend Experience. We now learn from her interview for CNBC that she did 200 movies… No wonder TGE was a bit of let-down for me, Sasha’s dead-pan performance is a result from her being overworked!
Must-see Transformers
Published by June 27th, 2009 in Book/DVD Reviews, Film School, Movie Reviews, News bits, Research / Influences and Storytelling. 0 CommentsNow, this isn’t a review of Transformers 2… I haven’t seen it myself yet.
I have seen part one and it was typical teenage fair. In typical Michael Bay tradition, he amped it up in the sequel. The most obvious result is that Megan Fox is SO sexy, it hurts my eyes.
That’s her at the LA Premiere of Transformers… The only way for Michael Bay to go further will be to have Megan Fox go topless in T3!
New Conan, Arnold clone found
Published by June 20th, 2009 in Digital Technology, Film School, News bits, Storytelling and Video Production. 0 Comments
The new Conan has finally found a lead. You might find it hard to believe but the new lead shares a LOT of similarities with Arnold.
Roland Kickinger
- is born in Austria (check)
- has been a pro bodybuilder (check)
- probably sports a thick Austrian accent (check)
I guess the list could go on and on. I could imagine someone from Nu Image is having a DUH moment right now. They’ve looked everywhere but the one place where Arnolds are born and bred.
Review: How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
Published by June 7th, 2009 in Book/DVD Reviews, Film School, Movie Reviews, News bits, Storytelling and Video Production. 0 Comments
Don’t worry! How to Win Friends and Influence People is not essential reading in order to enjoy this movie.
The movie is based on a memoir by British writer Toby Young. So you could say, this is a TRUE story. Or rather, it would’ve been, if the the script writer didn’t change the memoirs almost completely… which is an irony itself.
The plot is straight-forward: Sidney Young, a small time journalist, goes to New York City. His task is to cover the world of celebrities. In order to keep his job, he has to do a favorable article about Sophie Maes (sexy Megan Fox).
Sindney is attracted to Sophie and all the glitz. However, when Sophie is high and he has a shot, he … well, misses.
The movie has a few funny moments but it goes too many times from romantic comedy to satire and back again. The only redeeming feature is that we get to see Megan Fox wet and almost nude.
Christian Bale chews the scenery
Published by June 7th, 2009 in Film School and News bits. 1 CommentChristian Bale is one of my favorite actors and I gotta give it to him, he can chew the scenery even off camera.
It just occurred to me, however, that is probably the result of anabolic steroid abuse, a.k.a. ROID rage!
Review: Tobruk
Published by April 26th, 2009 in Book/DVD Reviews, Film School, Movie Reviews, News bits and Storytelling. 0 Comments
It’s been a while since I’ve seen a movie coming from Eastern Europe with decent production values. And I’m not talking about the crap-o-rama coming from Nu Image.
Tobruk is a solid war movie. I’m not using the term drama here because it’s next to non-existent. Some reviewers have attributed it to lack of action scenes. Not so.
Tons of TNT have apparently been used to recreate the battle of Tobruk. Yet, I couldn’t care less if anyone from the section (about 10 men) dies or lives.
Part of the reason is we don’t get a lot of background on them, e.g. protagonist Liebermann wants to open a bookstore when the war ends…
This kind of shallow characterization is one reason why the movie seems to go for hours, when in fact, it’s just a bit over the bare minimum (at 100 minutes).
I’m not going to ruin the “suspense” by describing the last scene but it felt anti-climatic and cliché.
To sum up, the production values are what sets this movie apart. When you look at some of the desert cinematography, you feel this could be The English Patient or Lawrence of Arabia. Unfortunately, the similarities end there.
Sony HC3 for $500
Published by March 31st, 2009 in Digital Technology, Film School, HD Cameras, News bits and Video Production. 1 Comment
Sony HC3 is an amazing little HD camera for any aspiring filmmaker on a budget.
B&H have a used one (in excellent condition) for around $500. You can get it here.
While in B&H used equipment department, check out the other HD camcorders too. They’ve got discounted Canon H1, Sony FX1, and even Panasonic HVX200 but you’ll need more than $500 for these babies.
Review: Killshot
Published by March 24th, 2009 in Book/DVD Reviews, Film School, Movie Reviews, News bits and Storytelling. 2 Comments
I saw Killshot for one reason only – Mickey Rourke. After his acclaimed performance in The Wrestler, he has made an impressive comeback. So has he the Midas touch too?
The short answer – NO. Long answer is NO because a good actor needs a lot more than just good acting to make a come back. He needs a good plot, a good director… the list goes on.
At least on surface, Killshot has a good plot. After all, it’s based on Elmore Leonard’s book by the same name.
Mickey plays a Toronto hitman who messes his last job and has little choice but to take an unlikely partner – Richie Nix (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) – a petty thief and extortionist.
The two are seen by a couple going through divorce and in Mickey’s character’s world that means a death sentence. The couple is supposed to have their own problems but they are so cliche that one is forced to look for entertainment in Joseph Gordon-Levitt performance who chews the scenery both literally and metaphorically.
Review: RocknRolla
Published by January 21st, 2009 in Book/DVD Reviews, Film School, Movie Reviews, News bits and Storytelling. 1 Comment
Guy Ritchie has finally divorced Madonna, so let’s see if the curse has been lifted.
A bit of a disclosure: I’m a big fan of Guy and I love Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.
I haven’t seen Cast Away and I don’t intend to. Finally, I didn’t understand Revolver no matter how many explanations were posted on this very site!
Back to the main attraction: RocknRolla delivers on the promise of London gangsters, and more London gangsters. Admittedly, they’re not as tough as Brick Top or Mickey but Guy has done a nice job of providing some variety.
The characters are interesting and likable too – especially Gerard Butler’s and Thandie Newton’s. In fact, a femme fatale is much welcome addition to the gangster movie. Some of the side characters are cliche – but I guess it’s to be expected since it’s Guy’s third movie covering the same ground.
The plot has taken a step back as well. It’s convoluted with a few side plots that act as leaking steam valves – the trains slows to a crawl and the audience starts looking around for any OTHER source of entertainment.
Overall, if you’re a Guy Ritchie fan, it’s a must see. However, expect that after seeing it ONCE, you’ll feel a powerful urge to revisit Lock, stock and Snatch. I saw Snatch 7 or 8 times when it came out. I expect to go into double digits now!
Review: Elegy
Published by December 17th, 2008 in Book/DVD Reviews, Film School, Movie Reviews, News bits and Storytelling. 0 Comments
Elegy is based on Philip Roth’s The Dying Animal. First off, I’m a big fan of Philip Roth and I also like Ben Kingsley and Penélope Cruz.
If you hate any of these three, you are better off going to another movie! Ben Kingsley carries the whole movie and you can find hardly a frame where he’s not in. Another word of warning, there’s a lot of skin the movie. Ben Kingsley looks OK for a sixty-year-old guy but there are also Penélope Cruz breasts.
Moving on to the movie itself… Ben Kingsley is an aging intellectual (professor, talk-show host, etc.) who is hitting on a different student each semester. He’s careful. He waits for the END of said semester and then holds a cocktail party. Obviously, his trick works flawlessly with years of practice.
With that kind of an attitude, it’s hardly surprising Ben’s characters is deeply cynical and doesn’t believe in LOVE (capitalized for added effect). So when Penélope Cruz enters his exquisitely-calibrated trap, he hardly expects to see her again – after the SEX, of course.
As luck (I mean Philip) would have it, Penélope Cruz comes back but Ben’s character fails to appreciate the change that has occurred.
Overall, the movie poses a lot more questions that it answers – especially about age, and change of old habits. I wouldn’t be surprised if the movie gets an Oscar nod.
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