Adam Wilt is asking: Is BMD the new RED?

So, is BMD the new RED? They’re certainly revolutionizing what it costs to get into interchangeable-lens, raw-recording motion-picture cameras, just as RED did—but I don’t see RED, Canon, Arri, Sony, or other camera makers quaking in their boots. The BMC Cine Cam looks like a great DSLR-killer, but it’s a smaller sensor (or so I’m led to believe, so far), it’s “only” 2.5K (thus none of the 4K cameras need fear obsolescence just yet), and it’s unclear if the camera has the systems-level capability to satisfy productions beyond the lone indie-filmmaker crowd.

But it’s early days yet; the camera won’t ship for a few months. And, fercryinoutloud, it’s $3000! One can live with a lot of compromises for $3000.

I can live with $3000 for a cine camera. Of course, you will probably have to rent the lenses to keep the budget down.

The list price for the new Sony camcorder is just below $6,000. This is exactly the price point where you start wondering if it won’t be better to own it, instead of renting it every time you need it.

A detailed review as always comes from ProVideo. A few highlights:

• The camera can record 1080/60p, 1080/60i, 1080/30p, 1080/24p, and 720/60p in AVCHD, at data rates from 5-28 Mbps depending on format.
• In 24 frames per second, the FS100 allows shutter speeds of 3, 6, 12, 24, 40, 48, 50, 60, 96, 100, 120, 144, 192, 200 288, 400, 576, 1200, 2400, 4800, and 10000
• The FS100 uses a single “Super35mm” CMOS sensor with a color filter array; it’s 23.6 mm × 13.3 mm.

I just found out that watching people discuss has exactly the same effect!

Now, the boards at IMDB are full of disparaging comments about Harrison Ford’s acting. There’s even suggestion about Jeff Bridges taking over as Colonel Graff.

Frankly, I can’t think of a better match for the cold Colonel. Jeff Bridges was fine in Men Who Stair at Goats, but you cannot take him seriously as a military establishment kind of guy.

If you are one of the people who own a DSLR from Canon, you are aware of their current trend to allow the camera to function as a camcorder as well (especially, the 5D Mark II). So the new C300 shows that the Canon can drop their hybrid approach and focus fully on a camera that is like DSLR in terms of form factor but has the feature set of a full-frame movie camera.

The important question is this: “Is Canon EOS C300 going to replace Canon X line, HVX200 or Sony’s new generation of indie video camcorders“. I think the answer is pretty clear – only if you have a pretty impressive budget! The list price of the new camcorder is 20,000 USD with the “real” price being in the 14,000-15,000 range.

So amateur filmmakers can forget about this camera but if you are shooting even a (semi) professional documentary, you could definitely go for it.

There’s a ton of photos at IMDB.

Apart from Jason Momoa, we get Ron Pearlman, Stephen Lang, and Rose McGovan (rumored to be groomed for Red Sonya at one point).

The world premiere is set for August 19! I cant wait to see the end of this swing in 3D:

Yes, the title is quite long and the release date is still a few months off but I’m very excited about seeing Gary Oldman in a meaningful role, i.e. not as a madman (from Azkaban or wherever).

The only piece of reliable historical information is that in second century AD, this legion was removed from the legion list. It was stationed in Britain, hence novelists ran wild with the idea that the whole legion perished in the Northern highlands (i.e. today’s Scotland). No amount of recent evidence about the Ninth appearing in the Rhine region has been deemed adequate so that storytellers move to greener pastures.

You could view the the movies in succession (like I did) starting with Centurion and watching the Eagle next (telling yourself, it’s now 9 years later). In Centurion, you witness the slaughter of Rome’s heavy infantry by the Pictish tribes and the hunt for the few Romans that survived. Which explains why no one knows what happened to the Ninth.

Except that in The Eagle, some survivors have actually set themselves in the highlands. One changed his name from Marcus Barbutus Ridiculus to the simpler “Guern”! So you see how it all comes together … the quest for simpler names.

The Eagle deals with the quest for the Holy Gr… I mean, the Ninth’s Eagle. One man and his slave go where no (Roman) man has gone before and came back to tell the tale. In short, the Eagle is recovered and delivered to the Senate’s British branch (preposterous last scene).

So what’s my recommendation? Should you see one or the other, or maybe both? The Eagle is the less annoying one by far. Except for the testudo formation in Act I and the Senate branch, the movie is generally true to the period.

Centurion, on the other hand, is basically a horror movie where everyone is dressed in rags (except in the opening battle where the legionaries still wear armor). These Romans drop four letter words every few lines and the Picts are mostly mute (especially Olga’s character). Do not expect any historical accuracy beyond the costumes… I mean rags.

I’d say that HBO’s ROME is still a better choice in terms of character development, intrigue, and overall “historical goodies”.

As Cinematical put it: “Video game fans were happy to see a film adaptation that actually tried to match the tone and impact of its video game predecessor.”

Of course, fans of Robert E. Howard have been dissecting the casting choice of Jason Momoa for the last year or so.

Looking at the poster, however, I felt the chills of this being a REAL Conan movie. The teaser trailer below isn’t bad either.

On a side note, there’s an amazing community of Conan (and online RPGs) fans, at Conan.com!

Just a sample from Burning Ice: “A film documenting the journey of a group of artists on an Arctic expedition.”

Right now, the rumormill places an even bet on Christian Bale and Javier Bardem. Personally, I’m Christian’s biggest fan but at the same time, I must admit Bardem’s perfomance in No Country for Old Men was amazing. What’s even more amazing is that his character is close to Roland in a way.

Turning the book into a movie is great and all, but I’m salivating for an online RPG based on the adventures of Roland. Some of those universes simply beg to be explored personally!

So the news that Guy is re-making the classic 1981 Excalibur (directed by John Boorman) is met with a lot of hostility on movie buff forums.

The funny side is to the whole thing is picturing Vinnie Jones as Merlin. Excalibur parody? Why not!

For some much needed perspective, check the Lightbikes scene from the original TRON (1982). I’ve played Snake a few times but it is far from my favorite retro game. I’ve always preferred the tactical games and fantasy RPG’s that came out in the 90s. Yet, watching this scene makes for some Snake on steroids fun.

Now compare it to the modern take. Frankly, the lightbike scene is not even close to being an effective adrenaline rush. Same as modern games, it’s not about player skill anymore. It’s about effects. Which is saying a LOT about how games have changed. Instead of games of reflex like Pong and Snake, kids nowadays play Assassin’s creed and WoW – button mashing which rarely makes a big difference.

Back to the movie. This time around we get an improved story and somewhat better acting, courtesy of Jeff Bridges. Olivia Wilde is very easy on the eyes. The main character can be anyone from the audience, which I guess is the idea.

Verdict: Watch the movie but keep in mind it will PLAY a lot better as a video game!

It seems Uwe is hellbent on keeping the title Worst Movie Director Ever and The Guardian confirms it:

Uwe Boll, who has been described as the world’s worst film director and a “schlockmeister”, said he felt it was time to present the Nazis’ crimes in their “full horror” in his film Auschwitz.

Trailer for Auschwitz (not recommended):

He produced cult classics such as “Serpico” (1973), “Three Days of the Condor” (1975), “King Kong” (1976), “Blue Velvet” (1986) and “Hannibal” (2001).

Yet, his most memorable appearance for me was on the B-side of my Conan the Barbarian – Collector’s Edition DVD. I found the whole production back story fascinating, especially the hiring of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

To paraphrase Mao, Dino has let a thousand flowers blosssom. Rest in peace.

P.S. Speaking of Conan, you must check out Conan’s soundtrack, Dino has hit the jackpot hiring Basil Poledouris.

All the usual suspects are rumored to be in the movie, e.g. Cate Blanchett is Galadriel.

Who will paly Bilbo though? Rumors place the honor at Martin Freemen’s feet.

I’m definitely looking forward to it. It looks like it will be in two parts (says IMDB).

The biggest question is WHAT will the new movie be about. Here’s the answer according to an insider:

A remake implies a new version of an original script. This movie has no connection to any previous Conan movies, it is a franchise restart, like “Batman Begins”. It is a brand new adaptation of the original Conan stories by Robert E. Howard.

So it’s not a remake or a sequel, it’s a RESTART