Film Junk » Technology

Final Destination 5 Director Boards Found Footage Tornado Movie

Sean — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:59:33 +0000

With 3-D now essentially a prerequisite for any studio blockbuster, it seems like an appropriate time for the disaster movie genre to make a major comeback. James Cameron's re-release of Titanic should get audiences warmed up later this year, but there is also a pair of new and "original" disaster flicks in development at New Line that are aiming to embrace 3-D in a big way. The first, Category Six, is being described as a found footage natural disaster movie about a group of high-school students trying to survive the worst tornado in U.S. history (currently, the Hurricane Wind Scale only goes to Category Five... get it?). It will be composed of fake cell phone and video camera footage, and director Steve Quale is now in final negotiations to direct. Although Final Destination 5 is Quale's most recent credit, the deal makes even more sense when you realize that he worked with James Cameron as the second unit director on both Avatar and Titanic. While it sounds like Quale has the technical experience to pull this off, it's still unclear if 3-D can actually work within the context of a found footage movie (wouldn't that completely counteract the realism?). Either way, I do think that I'm willing to give it a shot. At the very least, hopefully it will pave the way for a 3-D re-release of Twister as well. I need to know what it's like to have CG cows being thrown at my face. The other 3-D disaster movie in the works at New Line is San Andreas: 3D, written by Allan Loeb (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, 21). As you can probably guess, this one is about a massive earthquake that destroys everything between California and Nevada, with a protagonist who embarks on a dangerous road trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco in order to reconcile with his children and estranged wife. There's no director lined up as of yet, but I think we all know this was tailor-made for one man and one man only. Are you excited about the return of disaster movies in 3-D?

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Martin Scorsese Wants to Shoot All Future Movies in 3D

Sean — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:22:56 +0000

There hasn't been a ton of discussion about Martin Scorsese's Hugo around these parts as of yet, mainly because most of us still haven't seen it -- and judging from the box office numbers, a lot of other people still haven't seen it yet either. It's probably both a blessing and a curse that the only thing people seem to be talking about is the fact that it's Scorsese's first time shooting in 3D. Of course, as it turns out, that's the only thing he seems to be talking about either. Over the past week or two he has done a handful of interviews and talks about the future of 3D movies, and he definitely seems to have bought into the technology wholeheartedly. Just how much does he love 3D? He even went so far as to say that he would prefer to continue working exclusively with 3D from here on in. Hit the jump to see the full quote and his reasoning behind it. In a recent interview with Deadline, he was asked if he would prefer to shoot all of his movies in 3D moving forward. Here is his response:

"Quite honestly, I would. I don’t think there’s a subject matter that can’t absorb 3D; that can’t tolerate the addition of depth as a storytelling technique. We view everyday life with depth. I think certain subject matters aren’t meant for 3D but you have to go back to Technicolor; when it was used in 1935 with Becky Sharp. For about 10-15 years, Technicolor was relegated to musicals, comedies and westerns. It wasn’t intended for the serious genres, but now everything is in color. And so it’s just a different mindset. Granted once the technology advances and you can eliminates glasses that are hindrances to some moviegoers, so why not? It’s just a natural progression."

He was also asked which of his previous movies would benefit most from 3D, to which he replied:

"That’s an interesting question. Let’s see…Aviator, maybe? Maybe Taxi Driver… because of the intimidation of the main character , his presence is everywhere, a frightening kind of presence."

We kind of expect to hear this sort of stuff coming from James Cameron's mouth, but now to hear Scorsese praising 3D it definitely adds a little more credibility to the medium. Somehow Martin Scorsese doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would hide any ulterior motives or work with a format that he didn't truly believe in. On the other hand, maybe he's just excited to have a new toy to play with as a filmmaker. What do you think, does this change your mind about 3D or does it just make you worried about the future of cinema?

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James Cameron’s Titanic 3D Trailer

Sean — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 22:24:19 +0000

If 2011 was the year where almost every single major blockbuster was released in 3D, 2012 could very well be the year where many of these major blockbusters are eclipsed by 3D re-releases of old films. In the first half of 2012 alone, we're looking at re-issues of Beauty and the Beast, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace and Titanic, with Finding Nemo and Top Gun also coming later in the year. Although it's still unclear how audiences will respond to being spoonfed old classics updated with a new dimension, I'm guessing that the man most likely to succeed in this arena is the man who essentially legitimized 3D in the first place with Avatar. Early buzz from sneak previews of James Cameron's Titanic 3D has been fantastic with many calling it the best 3D post-conversion job to date. I wouldn't expect any less from Cameron, who is still fighting to maintain consumer and exhibitor confidence in 3D as a medium filled with untapped possibilities. But will the movie itself still hold up some 15 years later? The first trailer has arrived online via the film's official Facebook page, but of course, until we see it in 3D it doesn't mean a whole lot. Are you looking forward to another trip with Rose and Jack? Titanic 3D hits theatres on April 6th; check out the trailer after the jump.

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Sony Picks Up Steve Jobs Biopic

Sean — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:29:40 +0000

Despite persistent rumours about his failing health, the death of Steve Jobs clearly shocked a lot of people last week. The Apple and Pixar co-founder was one of those people who actually lived up to the word "visionary" and truly succeeded in changing the world around us. With all the media coverage surrounding his passing, you had to assume that Hollywood would be looking for a way to capitalize on it immediately. As it turns out, it took Sony just two days to make their move. Deadline reports that they are currently in negotiations to acquire the movie rights to Steve Jobs, an upcoming biography by Time Magazine managing editor Walter Isaacson that will be turned into a biopic for the big screen. The book has not been published yet but is set to hit stores on October 24th. Steve Jobs' life was featured on screen once before in the made-for-TV movie Pirates Of Silicon Valley, which focused more on the rivalry between Microsoft and Apple. Anthony Michael Hall played Bill Gates while Noah Wyle starred as Jobs. The new biopic will likely be a bit more serious in tone, and considering that Sony is the same studio responsible for The Social Network and Moneyball, it could actually end up being something more than just a cash grab. There are already whispers that Aaron Sorkin might write the screenplay, and although there is no solid evidence to support that, he did have a friendship of sorts with Steve Jobs. He recently revealed that Jobs would often call him up to chat, and that Jobs had also wanted him to write a Pixar movie. What do you think, are you a fan of Steve Jobs and are you interested in seeing a Jobs biopic on the big screen? On a related note, Discovery will air the Steve Jobs documentary iGenius: How Steve Jobs Changed The World this Sunday at 8 pm.

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Netflix Cancels Qwikster

Aaron — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:55:43 +0000

Things have been rough for Netflix over the past few months. As if the price changes hadn't sent enough customers into outrage, a few weeks ago the company announced a split between their streaming service and their DVD service, which would become a separate site called Qwikster. Unfortunately, the new site would not feature any integration with the old one, meaning customers would be paying two separate bills, managing two separate queues, and generally face more inconvenience. Clearly, the people at Netflix have heard all of the complaints since CEO Reed Hastings issued a statement today stating that they have pulled the plug on Qwikster and the company will remain as is. After losing more than one million customers, will this decision help win Netflix some much needed support? Judging by the comments on the Netflix website, there seem to be just as many complaints about this news as there are compliments. Certainly I can see how this decision to set things back highlights the company's lack of foresight in attempting to split their services to begin with. On the other hand, they are trying to give customers what they want, which is a step in the right direction. Looking at the bigger picture, the competition for movie viewing services has grown quite a bit (read Matt's article on the subject here) and Netflix is busy playing damage control now. Does this announcement help to restore your faith in the company? Which service do you currently rely on the most for viewing content?

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One, Two, Three, Four. Who Declared a Streaming War?

Matt Gamble — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 12:25:46 +0000

While recent format wars have garnered loads of media attention, in recent weeks there has been a dearth of information on a cold war that has been going on for some time, of that between online streaming services. And what has been seen by many as an insignificant war of attrition soon looks to have several sizeable blows attempted in upcoming weeks, escalating these skirmishes into an all out battle for supremacy. Netflix has essentially been the industry leader for a format that seems to be still struggling to gain a large following. But while Netflix has been seen as head and shoulders above its direct competitor (that being Blockbuster), there have been several competitors quietly growing in the wings, specifically Hulu and Amazon. Hulu has quickly gained traction with its power grab to seemingly stream every television show that is playing ever. And when they acquired the rights to Criterion's small, but critically revered library, it was seen as a blatant shot at Netflix’s hold on films. But while Hulu’s television licensing has been impressive, they were recently put on sale, thus putting into question just how viable a property it is. But while Hulu seemingly appears to be spinning its wheels in the cloud, Blockbuster has started to surge thanks primarily to it being acquired by Dish Network in April, and to Netflix collectively stepping on the foot of all of its subscribers again and again with recent price hikes, and somewhat surprising spin-off and some truly inspiringly bad PR gaffes while trying to justify those moves. But even with an influx of capitol and Netflix trying its damndest to fuck everything up, Blockbuster isn’t exactly the darling of the media or the public after years of nickel and diming their customers for every drop of profit they could wring out of them. Which brings me back to Hulu, as the company seen most likely to emerge victorious in acquiring them is, wait for it, Dish Network. You see, Dish doesn’t really care about Hulu’s library (all their current contracts would need to be renegotiated within two years anyways) but rather the technology, as it would greatly aid their streaming efforts as Dish continues to push its Blockbuster Movie Pass that new subscribers to Dish are required to sign up for as they continue their mad dash to grab as much market share from Netflix as they can while the champ is still wobbling. But there is a problem with this plan, and it is that Netflix isn’t the company that Dish should be worried about, or going after. Rather it is the company that I have yet to talk about. You see, Amazon is the sleeping giant in the online streaming equation and has long been considered the primary threat to Netflix’s crown. Amazon has steadily strengthened its partnerships with Hollywood over the past few months, with its most recent deal last week with 20^th Century Fox that will allow Amazon Prime members to stream all of the studios TV and movie offerings for free , being yet another feather in the company’s cap. But what isn’t mentioned, is that Amazon has something else in mind that will change the landscape of streaming: the acquisition of Netflix. While Netflix has made it pretty clear the streaming is the future, and that the studios have made their life as hellish as possible, what most people don’t know is that the recent spin-off of Netflix and Qwikster isn’t to sell Qwikster to the highest bidder, but to make Netflix far more attractive to Amazon. By eliminating their shipping centers and physical product, Netflix has eliminated the issue of ongoing sales tax for Amazon, and their acquisition would effectively triple their library while adding a global streaming service with huge brand recognition, thus propelling Amazon to the forefront of the streaming industry, and effectively leapfrogging all of its competitors in the process. Oh yeah, you’ll get free next-day air from Amazon Prime on all your purchases, all for less money a year than you are currently paying for Netflix streaming. It’s a hell of a potential product offering. So be prepared to buckle up and get ready for some changes in these next few months, as these companies continue to fight for your streaming dollar. And here is to hoping this wild and crazy ride means the customers are who win in the end. Matt Gamble observes and obfuscates on obscure cinema at Where the Long Tail Ends and has even managed to squeak out a ten year career in the movie industry. He is also known to regularly shout down his co-hosts on the Row Three Cinecast. And, on special occasions, he calls Jay Cheel a “Cocksucker!” in a crowded theatre.

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Sony to Stop Covering the Cost of 3-D Glasses in 2012

Sean — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:30:39 +0000

It's no secret that the past year has been a rough one for the still evolving 3D format on the big screen. After a handful of massive hits like Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, many recent 3D releases have been less successful with the 2D versions of various summer blockbusters attracting a significantly higher turnout and, as a result, a higher payout. Are 3D movies on the verge of extinction, or is this just a sign of growing pains? Many analysts have argued that moviegoers are not willing to pay the extra premium for 3D screenings, and now it looks like there is a chance they may actually have to pay even more. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Sony Pictures Entertainment has told theatre owners this week that they will no longer be footing the bill for providing 3D glasses for their releases as of May 1, 2012. This brings up an obvious question: if they won't pay for them, who will? Up until this point, studios have always covered the cost of the 3D glasses for their respective releases, an expenditure that can range from $5 to $10 million per movie. It was a decision that was made early on in order to help encourage more theatres to install the 3D technology, but the studios never intended for it to be a long term thing. Now that Sony is the first to make this policy change, others could easily follow suit; Fox had already tried once before but was met with much resistance from theatre owners. The studios are proposing that theatres should start selling the glasses to consumers, but with moviegoers already wary of the extra $3 to $4 they are paying for 3D screenings, this could deter them even further. Some countries already have consumers buying their own 3D glasses, but American audiences are not used to this -- not to mention the fact that 3D continues to be popular overseas while it is struggling in the U.S. Deadline reports that Sony is open to discussing other alternatives, but it's unclear what those alternatives might be. Would you be willing to pay for your own 3D glasses? Could this be the final nail in the coffin for 3D movies in the U.S.?

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Top Gun Headed for 3D Re-release

Sean — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 20:33:59 +0000

After mounting a brief theatrical comeback this past May in celebration of its 25th Anniversary, Tony Scott's Top Gun is now aiming to return to theatres in a much bigger way: in three-dimensions. The '80s classic has apparently been added to the growing list of older films slated for a 3D conversion and big screen re-release. A four-minute preview of the 3D conversion featuring the "Danger Zone" sequence was shown Monday at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) in Amsterdam. While Tony Scott has not yet given his stamp of approval, Paramount is reportedly aiming to have it in theatres sometime in early 2012. Top Gun's 3D conversion is being handled by Legend3D, the same company that did the 3D for Alice in Wonderland, The Green Hornet, and more recently Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Legend3D CEO Rob Hummel had this to say:

"We think there is great potential for catalog titles in 3D, but studios have had trouble justifying the expense... I think Top Gun lends itself to 3D due to the aerial flight. You can have fun with 3D by bringing things off the screen if they are not attached to the edge of the screen."

This weekend Disney's The Lion King will hit theatres in 3D, the third Disney catalogue title to receive such an update after Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and Beauty and the Beast. We also know that Titanic and the Star Wars movies are in the process of getting similar upgrades, among others. With all of the recent stories about the dwindling attendance for 3D screenings, I will be very curious to see if there is any interest at all in these 3D re-releases. Something tells me that if they do succeed, it will only be because of the draw of seeing these movies on the big screen again, not because of the addition of 3D. Would you pay to see Top Gun in 3D?

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Michael Shannon Confirms Motion Capture for General Zod in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel

Sean — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 13:01:21 +0000

Much like The Dark Knight Rises, Zack Snyder's upcoming Superman film Man of Steel is being plagued by paparazzi with all kinds of set photos leaking online and fans immediately jumping to conclusions over them. A couple of weeks ago, a spy photo appeared to show Michael Shannon on set wearing a motion capture suit, which led to speculation over whether or not the new General Zod would be at least partially CG-generated. Of course, at the time no one was even sure if it was Michael Shannon in the photo, but this week Shannon himself has spoken up on the matter. As it turns out, he was indeed wearing a motion capture suit and Zod will be, to some extent, a CG creation. This is what he had to say on the matter:

"Yeah, it's one of the most humiliating garments that exists in the known universe, yes. It's very tight. It has a variety of different colors and shapes on it and it makes you feel like you're the court jester. And it's funny because when I met with Zack we were talking about it before it started and he mentioned that there was going to be a lot of CGI, or whatever. I said, 'Just don't make me wear one of those silly suits.' He said, 'Oh, yeah, don't worry, I know exactly what you're talking about.' I was like, 'It's going to be really hard for me to be intimidating if I have to wear one of those silly suits.' He said, 'I totally understand.' Then I showed up and he's like, 'Dude, I swear to God, it's going to be so bad ass when we're done. Trust me, it's going to be wicked.' And, you know, people understand and you get used to it. The first day, you feel like you're getting rushed by a fraternity... and then it wears off the next day. Because I'm not the only one wearing one – there are other people wearing them, too."

At this point it is unclear if Zod will be fully CG or if it will be just his costume, but based on the results of the Green Lantern CG suit, I'd say that some of the concern is warranted. Shannon also recently told MTV that he will be making the character his own and he is "not going to impersonate Terence Stamp." What are your thoughts on a CG Zod, and are you looking forward to seeing Michael Shannon's take on the character?

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Netflix Price Increase Outrages Current Subscribers

Sean — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:40:49 +0000

It wasn't long ago that Netflix seemed to be on top of the world with an endless stream of new subscribers and plenty of content providers signing very favourable deals with them. However, things have been getting a little bit more difficult for the company as of late, as many studios are now contemplating their own digital movie services and competitors like Hulu are making some big moves of their own. The situation has forced Netflix to make a tough decision this month: they have restructured their subscription plans in the U.S. by dividing streaming and DVD by mail services into two separate packages. The end result of this is that many current subscribers will see a 60% price increase if they want to have access to both the Watch Instantly catalogue and physical DVD rentals. Needless to say, a lot of consumers feel blindsided, and have been expressing their disappointment across the web. On Tuesday, Netflix announced via their official blog that instead of paying $9.99 a month for both unlimited streaming and DVDs, customers would have to choose between $7.99 a month for unlimited streaming and $7.99 a month for unlimited DVD rentals. Either that, or pay $16 a month for both. The changes are effective immediately for new subscribers, and existing customers will switch over by September 1st. The post announcing these changes now has over 11,000 comments on it, many of them expressing anger and outrage. It's pretty clear that Netflix is looking to slowly phase out DVD rentals by mail altogether because of the overhead costs associated with it. However, they know that many of their members will be very slow to switch over to a streaming only option, so they are trying to give them a push in the right direction. Unfortunately, they probably didn't anticipate that so many people would still really want both options, and it has turned into a bit of a P.R. nightmare for them. Deadline is reporting that Netflix shares were down 4.1% on Wall Street yesterday, and now Blockbuster is trying to lure unhappy customers over with a free one month trial of their Total Access service. What do you think, did Netflix make a big mistake here? If you are a current Netflix subscriber, will you stay with them and if so, what plan will you choose?

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Spy Kids 4 to Be Released in Smell-o-Vision

Sean — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 17:33:03 +0000

Ever since the first trailer has arrived online for Spy Kids: All the Time in the World, people have been wondering why the marketing campaign has been proclaiming that the film will be released in 4-D. Most people just assumed the Robert Rodriguez was being cheeky and that the fourth dimension was actually time... which kind of makes sense because the film's plot revolves around a villain (played by Jeremy Piven) who is trying to stop time. Well, it turns out that Rodriguez wasn't really joking about the 4-D. Today they've revealed that Spy Kids 4 will actually be playing in 4-D, and that the fourth dimension isn't time... it's smell! According to USA Today, the movie will be bringing back another old gimmick from the 1950s known as Smell-o-Vision, only in this case Rodriguez has dubbed the new version "Aromascope". The idea is that cards will be handed out at each screening, pre-loaded with eight different smells. The scents are released using a scratch and sniff process guided by on screen prompts. Ricky Gervais will give a short tutorial before the movie in character as the robotic dog Argonaut. We've heard rumours about other companies attempting to bring back Smell-o-Vision, and it has always seemed pretty ridiculous. But you have to give Rodriguez credit for being creative and not being afraid to embrace cheesy gimmicks. (After all, he was one of the first filmmakers to bring back 3-D, with The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl.) While it remains to be seen if this will actually catch on with other filmmakers, I have to admit, I'm curious to see how it works. What do you think, is this a good idea? Does this make you more likely to see Spy Kids 4?

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Transformers to Combat Dim 3D Projection with Brighter Prints

Aaron — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 03:34:04 +0000

One of the chief criticisms of 3D movies up until now has been the level of dimness with which they are projected. With 3D tickets sales down this summer, some studios are starting to take notice of the complaints and are taking steps to correct the issue. Case in point: Paramount and Michael Bay have implored theater chains to play the latest Transformers film at brighter settings. Beyond that, Paramount has gotten strict, requiring theaters to play the film "in 3D next Tuesday night for the early screenings to spread buzz or they can't play the film at all." The studio says that if theaters have a digital print in house, they won’t even accept the 35mm Technicolor 3D release prints. Also, Paramount is telling theaters it is a four-week minimum in their digital theater. With these requirements, Paramount is clearly attempting to cover all their bases with this release - and with 3D in its current state, who could blame them? Placating fans with better 3D seems more like a side-effect to earnings potential, especially with this particular film. It's also worth noting that with the four-week minimum set up, Paramount will also be taking theaters away from other 3D releases like Cars 2 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. I guess it's every man for himself in the 3D release game these days. I'll admit that I am curious about the quality of 3D in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, even though I'm not a fan of the series. The creative team has seemingly shown a good deal more care with it than other releases of the past couple years and the brightness correction certainly highlights that. What do you think - does the brightness solution give you any more interest to see the film in 3D? Is Transformers going to be the shot in the arm that 3D needs?

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