Nuscreen Cinema

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (USA) Review

2012-01-03T02:46:00.000-08:00

This was a movie that fell into the category of "do not want!" by many people. After all, it is an adaptation of the English language altered version of the Swedish book, which already has its own movie treatment, which is pretty successful in its own right. This being the first of a three part book series by the late Stieg Larsson, translated by Steven T. Murray (under Reg Keeland). The original Swedish title of the book is Män som hatar kvinnor or translated: Men Who Hate Women. Yeah, doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

To tell the truth, if not for the choice in director or the inspired casting, this would be no more than a typical cash grab by Hollywood to take a winning formula and make it their own. I've never been one to like remakes when they are not warranted. That said, even though this movie has already been done well enough, I feel that there is enough done differently and sometimes more eloquently with this version to merit this version along side the 2009 Swedish version. I have another admission to make. I have not read any of the books, even though I have been told that they are very good reading. I will continue to make my way backward to the book with the first story, as I have seen this USA version first, but have since seen the Swedish version. I did not do this on purpose, but it makes for an interesting take on adaptations and is like doing a bit of reverse-engineering. Just as a warning, there is a lot of comparison between the two versions in this review. After seeing both, I think I have no choice.

Both screen versions of this story have some very disturbing scenes. In this case, Hollywood does not back down, and I think that this was evident from the start, starting with David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac, The Social Network) as director. In this case, some of those disturbing moments are crucial to the characters' paths. It is an all in or fold occasion with this material.

The Tale of Two Lisbeths

I have no idea who is the closer Lisbeth Salander to the book, but I know that there are some very serious differences in personality traits in the way that the two versions come across on screen. In the new version, she is no longer tough as nails. At the same time, she is no longer just someone you have to believe has a tough exterior because of her past, shown through flashbacks. This Lisbeth is much more fragile in both appearance and personality. She is a perpetual victim because she wears it on her sleeve. You can see the years of abuse and regret in this Lisbeth's expressions and mannerisms. She denounces the victim role and seeks revenge only because she gets pushed to a corner. I have to say that although I really like Noomi Rapace in the Swedish version (and I really do), there is something that rings true to human behavior about this new version with Rooney Mara that isn't present in the original. This may be a product of watching the wrong movie first, but it is almost difficult to believe such a tough chick like the one Noomi plays would find herself in those scenarios where she would put herself at risk, nor do I think many people would actually mess with her very often. I am thinking that this choice that the writers have made may also have something to do with giving her more of a character arc over the series, but time will tell. I could see this as a difficult departure for some to take though. There is one scene where there is a completely different choice that Lisbeth is about to make (rather than not help somebody), which I find very interesting. I'd better not give that away, though.

After watching Michael Nyqvist play Mikael Blomkvist in the lead, the only more obvious choice after picking someone with such a similar name to the character, was to pick Daniel Craig to play the part for the English language production. It's like a no-brainer. Craig does really well in this part, but again, as much as I do like the acting in the Swedish version, it is not the acting but the dialog that really sets the two movies apart. I find that the characters are just more fleshed out in the newer version. Mikael is not nearly as fleshed out as Lisbeth in the new version, but a decent amount over the Sweedish production. One difference I will say is that there is a whole lot more chemistry going on between Craig and Mara. You could actually feel it before Lisbeth takes their relationship in a new direction, where as Nyqvist just seems to be blindsided, maybe because he was just used in that version. Either way, there is a lot more tension between the two here.

There are some omissions in this newer movie that I had to question after watching the 2009 version, but there is enough new that I think that the whole production was not only worth it, but this movie keeps you wanting more. All of the acting in the new adaptation is exceptional. Christopher Plummer is always good, and his portrayal of Henrik Vanger is right on par with the one played by Sven-Bertil Taube, which I liked every bit as much, by the way.

The visual quality of this movie is where it really stands out. This is really quite a visually striking movie, even in its bleak overtones. In fact, I think that this is the one area where it completely trumps the other film without any question. This movie simply looks amazing. The score by Atticus Ross and former Nine Inch Nails front man Trent Reznor is also very good. I think that this may have been his calling all along. In The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, it kind of propels Lisbeth's moments on screen in a way that I don't think a traditional orchestral score would. This is not to say that the guy has learned quite a bit about nuance and ambiance over the years, to go along with his edgier stuff. The duo won an Oscar and Golden Globe for their score for The Social Network, where Reznor's keyboard / digital feel also had a hand in the presence of the film.

Overall: 8.5 (out of 10)

Ridley Scott's Prometheus Preview

2011-12-27T17:04:00.001-08:00

When the movie Alien was released back in 1979, nothing else like it it had ever been done before. It was a classic horror / monster movie set in space with a science fiction universe. There was a depth to the movie and a strong glimpse of a bigger universe of characters beyond the xenomorph aliens that played the terrifying antagonistic creatures in the movie. The original film contained an unexplained character that had long since passed by the time that the humans arrived. After the mining crew answer a distress beacon the foreign planet, they find an alien derelict cargo ship. On that ship, the humans discovered the fossilized remains of a large humanoid creature. This character was often called "The Space Jockey" or more formally, "The Pilot". The Space Jockey has never been attempted to be explained in any of the subsequent sequels by any other directors that followed Scott; being James Cameron, David Fincher, and Jean Pierre Jeunet, sequentially. (all three of those are in my top 10 directors list, by the way) The race is sometimes called in other media, the Mala'kak.

Prometheus is Ridley Scott's first attempt to delve back into this universe since the 1979 original movie Alien. The director of Blade Runner and Gladiator has decided that rather than rehash anymore xenomorphs, why not go back earlier in this universe. The director outed his stance on including the original antagonists a while back, saying: "No. Absolutely not. They squeezed it dry. He (the xenomorph) did very well. (He laughs) He survived, he’s now in Disneyland in Orlando, and no way am I going back there. How did he end up in Disneyland? I saw him in Disneyland, Jesus Christ!" This is also the first non-Preditor movie set in this universe without the character Ellen Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver. Prometheus will be part one of a two part prequel story. I think that this is infinitely more interesting and original than anything since the original sequel: Aliens. Don't get me started on the AVP movies. In fact, I am much more interested in the return to horror / science fiction roots than anything else since the original.

Shooting Prometheus in native 3D, Scott has claimed that he will never go back to 2D again. This is a bold statement for such a well established director. That must mean that his upcoming Blade Runner sequel will also be in 3D! With 3D still going strong, I sure hope that theaters get with it when it comes to using brighter lamps in their projectors. I would like to see Real D use their power to maintain that this happens out of their own interest, but maybe that should be left for a future article.

Prometheus stars Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Guy Pearce, and Idris Elba. The release date is set for June 8, 2012.

Don't believe it is a true return to the source material? I think that the following trailer will speak for itself:

More Images:

The Hobbit Video Production Diary #5

2011-12-24T12:25:00.000-08:00

These diaries are just so good.This one is delivered as a Christmas present to all of the fans. Even if you aren't a fan, it is well worth the watch. The production finally goes on location, as New Zealand is going into it's summer right now.

The Adventures of Tinitn Review

2011-12-22T13:44:00.000-08:00

Tintin is the kind of movie that every adolescent boy didn't even realize that they wanted to watch really badly. It is a fun movie and something different than anything else, yet it seems very familiar at the same time. Spielberg has said that a big influence in Indiana Jones has always been the comic books made from the 1930s to the 1970s also named The Adventures of Tintin by artist Hergé (Georges Remi)... and it's here that there are some striking similarities. Imagine sort of a Hardy Boys meets Indiana Jones. The style of the action set pieces seem very reminiscent of the scene that you might remember from the truck chase scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark. There is also a great deal of detective sleuthing done by the titular character. This is a fun movie, to be sure. Sometimes though, the action scenes seem to persist a little longer than they should, in my opinion. This effect kind of wears down on the viewer and it loses it's narrative a bit. This is something I also thought Peter Jackson's King Kong was also guilty of. Interestingly, it is Peter Jackson who is up next to direct the following installment of Tintin, trading producer / director roles with Stephen Spielberg. Like Raiders of the Lost Ark, this movie will also likely get a longer title change in the future to The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn.

The opening credits are a real work of art here. It is unmistakeably similar to Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can right down to the flute-heavy John Williams score. This style seems like a perfect fit for Tintin and the added depth on stylized 2D animation is pretty cool, and this is something PIXAR has been doing as well.

We are gaining some serious ground into the uncanny valley, where artificial characters look real, even if there is still something so different about them. This movie represents a new style mix to the CGI animated feature formula. Now the skin looks very real, even though the features are exaggerated. The movements of the characters and half of the time, the physics are grounded in the real world, which makes some of the scenes a little more tense. Another thing they do different than any other animated movie, is add many adult themes into a movie centered around a teen character, which will obviously be watched by a younger set. I really like this. It doesn't play down to its younger audience in any way. On the other hand, some of these adult themes seem hard to take in an animated movie with this style. Seeing alcoholism thrown around so lightly in a movie like this seems a bit too much sometimes. Some of the humor revolves around almost slapstick situations, and the universe the movie is set in seems a little inconsistent. Still, it's a little hard to fault them for trying something different, even if it doesn't always work the way it should.

The acting is very good behind these animated characters. The character of Tintin is played by Jamie Bell, whom I think sounds eerily similar to Elijah Wood. He does a nice job playing the wannabe adult /detective, Tintin. Captain Haddock is played by performance capture icon Andy Serkis (Gollum, Kong, Caesar). Serkis is amazing here, as usual. I think that the characters that really stand out in this movie though, are Interpol's Thomson and Thompson (Nick Frost and Simon Pegg). The banter of these two bumbling agents is just too funny. I love it. It is one of my favorite comic relief bits in any movie like this... and now you know where the '80s band got their name The Thompson Twins (Hold me now) from.

The movie as a whole seems to lack a little something for me. It is hard to say just what it is. I guess this movie just isn't for everyone. Perhaps it is almost too much of a throwback for its own good. The movie seems a little out of place in today's world. Maybe that is more a state of how messed up today's world is than actually anything wrong with the movie. It is still refreshing in its own right, but also far from perfect.

Overall: 7.5 (out of 10)

First Trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

2011-12-20T20:48:00.000-08:00

So, so excited about this. Instead of watching this tonight, I think I'll wait to see it in the theater, in front of Spielberg / Jackson's Tintin, which opens tomorrow.

The Dark Knight Rises Theatrical Trailer

2011-12-19T22:21:00.000-08:00

Here it is, the trailer that many people have been waiting for since The Dark Knight opened.

Click below for the trailer.

Hugo Review

2011-12-15T12:43:00.000-08:00

Let me start out by saying that it isn't often that a movie like this gets made. Hugo, an adaptation of the Brian Selznick book: The Invention of Hugo Cabret, has been called a love letter to cinema. That may be true, but I would go one step further, deeming it a fantastic exercise in storytelling, in love with the art of storytelling itself. The book is sort of a half-visual experience, containing many sketches and 526 pages of text. This film translates that experience in a way that has yet to be done with this genre.

As a film, Hugo is one of those rare experiences where I was grinning from ear to ear almost through the whole picture. Let me stop right there and say that if there is just one movie out there to ever experience in 3D, let it be this one. We all know what Avatar did for 3D and most of us know that its creater has been a 3D guru for some time, but let me say one thing here: Martin Scorsese has done some kind of magic here, creating a sense of depth within each frame never seen before. I never even thought I would ever see the words Scorsese and 3D in the same sentence except maybe where the words were included would say: "I will never make a _ movie." I actually am shocked that he has made a family-friendly movie in the first place, but the results are fantastic! I am not even sure that this is just a family movie either. This is a timeless movie made for any age group, but will probably be much more appreciated by adults. This is not the same formula as say, a PIXAR movie, which has humor geared toward adults, but will entertain the kids too. This is something much more artistic and true to heart, without insulting any age group. In fact, this movie seems much more in line with a film by French auteur Jean Pierre Jeunet than anything I would expect from Martin Scorsese. I can't help but think that Jeunet's films City of Lost Children, Delicatessen, and Amélie have been studied extensively by Scorsese because aside from this film being set in Paris in that sort of depression era that Jeunet likes to capture, it also shares a sort of filmic texture that is in line with Jeunet's films. If not for the 3D and English dialog (and accents), I would have a hard time believing this was not a Jeunet film, let alone a Scorsese flick.

Jeunet isn't all of the tributes to be had in this inspired movie, either. Not by a long shot. The real life George Méliès (Ben Kingsley), who is an early film making pioneer, is the story's toy salesman and father to the young girl companion (played by Chloë Grace Moretz). Most know Méliès' work from his man in the moon imagery in A Trip To the Moon, and some of that piece, as well as more of his work has been translated to 3D in such a way as to not only be not offending ('80s Turner colorization efforts come to mind) but to be admired in a new way with an art form just as fresh as cinema itself was back in this era. This would not have worked so well if it were done at the hand of someone other than a genuine artist like Scorsese himself. I find that not only are people not offended by this tasteful 3D-ification of some classic works, but the movie Hugo itself will please many by its 3D quality, even those who typically don't like 3D. Other early film influences such as Harold Lloyd can also be found here and there, such as the clock tower scene.

The acting in this movie is also top notch. My compliments to the casting director. As much as Ben Kingsley will do just about any roll (insert Michael Caine joke here), he is always at the top of his game and here he is no different. The young boy in the lead, Asa Butterfield (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) does a fine job, as does the very lady-like Chloë Grace Moretz (500 Days of Summer, Kiss-Ass). The boy's late clockmaker father is also admirably played by Jude Law, as is the beautiful Emily Mortimer, who plays Lisette. The acting is just very solid, over all, but one of the best parts in the film has to be the Station Inspector, played by Sacha Baron Cohen. This role would have never worked the way it does without Cohen. What seems like a hybrid of inspector Clouseau and a hint of Borat, this shows just how impressive Cohen can be with even a much more subtle approach. Those who look at the whole of his work already know that he is an amazing comedic actor. I think that even without the comedy aspects he will prove to be amazing in the coming years. (bring on the Freddy Mercury role, please)

The musical score is exactly what Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings) does best, provide a strong but subtle theme with a much deeper subtext. It does its job well.

As it stands, I feel that I would really like to own this film, and I haven't even felt the need to own a movie in some time. This is one that I wouldn't mind watching over and over again. Very few movies make me feel this way. I can't find a single thing I don't like here so I have to reflect that in my score. As a movie lover, this film strikes many chords with me and never takes that and then goes the wrong direction. The only thing that they seemed to have taken a misstep on is their advertising department, which I don't think has been able to sell this movie properly. This is too bad, but only will strengthen the home arrival of this movie. In this case it is too bad because this is really something meant to be seen in the theater. I hope that it gets re-released around Oscar time.

Overall: 10 (out of 10)

The Hobbit teaser lands in Austin, TX for BNAT 13, will be shown in theaters before Tintin

2011-12-13T23:47:00.000-08:00

The title pretty much says it all, but the whole story can be found at theonering.net, including Elijah Wood's introduction at the But-Numb-A-Thon 13 film festival in Austin, TX, which is founded by Aintitcool News creator, Harry Knowles. Very cool news, indeed.

Spielberg sequel-mania! Indy 5 and JP4 in the works

2011-12-13T22:19:00.000-08:00

What I refer to as Spielberg's two worst movies would be his last two directorial installments of Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones. Hopefully he can redeem himself from the cringe-worthy scenes of that um, daughter of Dr. Malcolm doing gym-kata on some velociraptors, as well as Indy flying through the air in a refrigerator.

I sure hope that spending time with Peter Jackson on Tintin will ignite some of whatever it is that Steven Spielberg once liked about action movies.

JP4 news, courtesy of Comingsoon.net
Indy 5 news, also courtesy of Comingsoon.net

Three Stooges Trailer from the Farrelly Brothers is up

2011-12-08T16:12:00.001-08:00

Not really sure how I feel about this one. Why make it set in modern times? it makes me think of those '90s movie takes on '60s sitcoms. As far as the actors playing the parts, I sort of like everyone so far, but I'm not quite sold on Larry. This could be good but also could be really bad!
The later seems more likely.

...also, seriously with the Snookie cameo?

...still, it might be funny/bad. Kind of hard to tell.

Scorsese's Hugo scoring high marks with critics

2011-11-28T22:07:00.001-08:00

With a 3 day weekend gross of $11,364,505, Hugo is no blockbuster competition for the likes of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1, with its 2nd weekend gross of $41,683,574. What is actually "gross" about those numbers is the fact that you have a movie like Hugo, with an acclaimed director who decides to take a gamble on a new genre. The movie scores high with critics, getting a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Next you have a movie like Twilight, which scores as low as 26% likes on RT, but still somehow manages to keep the series alive and well. Anyway, it looks like both critics and the audience can agree on The Muppets, which took the #2 spot over the weekend with a $29,239,026 domestic gross and a whopping 98% approval. Sometimes the good guy wins.

Now I have not yet seen Hugo, as my little mountain town theater somehow refuses to often book good movies. I'll have a review up as soon as I get a chance to catch the flick. Until then, here is some media for you:

Plot Summary: "Hugo" tells the story of an orphan boy living a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station. With the help of an eccentric girl, he searches for the answer to a mystery linking the father he recently lost, the ill-tempered toy shop owner living below him and a heart shaped lock, seemingly without a key. Based on Brian Selznick's award winning and imaginative New York Times bestseller, "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," this magical tale is Academy Award-winner Martin Scorsese's first film shot in 3D

Read more: Hugo - Trailers, Videos, and Reviews ComingSoon.net Movie Database

Martin Scorsese and James Cameron waxing on 3D:

Hugo Trailer #2

Hugo TV Spot #5 "Critics"

Hugo TV Spot 4 "Brave"

The first Red Scarlet cam goes on sale

2011-11-18T21:29:00.001-08:00

What looks to be the best studio-quality, medium budget, digital motion picture camera ever, and little brother to the Red Epic (Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Hobbit), The Red Scarlet has just gone on sale today. Rental service owner Tonaci Tran (middle) is the lucky recipient. At $9,750, this is one serious studio quality 4K entry-level camera. It is fully customizable and highly upgradable.

Source: Red

35mm projection on its way out, presumed dead by 2015

2011-11-16T11:10:00.001-08:00

In what is both a sad moment for the ending of an era and a wondrous one for a new frontier, classic 35mm projection is slated to go the way of the dinosaur. While 35mm has been the standard for many years, its days are clearly numbered. Digital projection has come in on the wave of supporters like George Lucas and more recently, James Cameron, who's feature Avatar has been seen as the tipping point. With more theaters looking to 3D for added revenue, it only strengthens digital's foothold. The folks at IHS Screen Digest Cinema Intelligence Service have stated that the beginning of 2012 will "mark the crossover point when digital technology overtakes 35mm." If that is the case, then look out for December of 2012, when potential blockbusters like The Hobbit: An unexpected Journey and Man of Steel hit theaters. With The Hobbit movies, you have perhaps an even even more significant advancement, that being the first commercial motion picture to be displayed at 48fps (frames per second) as opposed to the 24fps standard that his been with us since the talkies. Add 3D to the mix, and you can see that the world of cinema is changing forever. For good or for bad, we are on a path away from the old 35MM print standard.

IHS estimates that: "By the end of 2012, the share of 35mm will decline to 37 percent of global cinema screens, with digital accounting for the remaining 63 percent. This represents a dramatic decline for 35mm, which was used in 68 percent of global cinema screens in 2010. In 2015, 35mm will be used in just 17 percent of global movie screens, relegating it to a niche projection format."

35MM film won't go away totally... for now. You do still have movie directors who love to shoot on film. Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino seem to much prefer film, but then you have a director like Martin Scorsese, who seems to be changing hist tune. Scorsese, a once outspoken artist against both 3D and digital has decided to embrace both for the filming of his upcoming picture Hugo. Still, as we get farther away from 35mm, I'm sure the warmth of its old fashioned film look will bring artists back, even if it's only for a concept piece here and there. Most likely though, it will be converted for digital projection. The trend, even before digital projection fully caught on, has been to transfer to digital to do editing, grading, and compositing of visual effects, so many have been comfortable with that stage for quite a while.

So enjoy 35mm projection while you can... if you can find it, because pretty soon, it will be time to say fin.

soruce: Technology.CNBC

Set reports 1-3 for the Hobbit are up at Aintitcool News

2011-11-15T17:43:00.001-08:00

Update: Set report Part 5 added on 11/28/11

Ah, I remember these reports from LOTR like it was yesterday. Thanks to Quint over at Aintitcool for well, making us all so jealous.

An Unexpected Journey: Quint on the set of The Hobbit! Part 1 - Concerning Hobbiton: Link

An Unexpected Journey: Quint on the set of The Hobbit! Part 2 - They Call Me Mr. Chubb: Link

An Unexpected Journey: Quint on the set of The Hobbit Part 3 – Beginnings and Endings: Link

An Unexpected Journey: Quint on the set of The Hobbit Part 4 – A Palaver of Istari: Link

An Unexpected Journey: Quint on the set of The Hobbit Part 5 – Thorin's Dilemma: Link

Ridley Scott to direct Blade Runner sequel

2011-11-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

First a prequel to his own movie Alien, in Prometheus, due June 2012. Now Ridley Scott has confirmed in a blog called Speakeasy from Wall Street Journal that the new project is “liable to be a sequel.” to his 1982 sci-fi / nior flick Blade Runner.

Earlier this year, Alcon Entertainment said it was planning a new Blade Runner project with Scott set to direct. It however, was not known whether the movie would be a prequel, sequel, or remake. “I think I’m close to finding a writer that might be able to help me deliver,” Scott says, “we’re quite a long way in, actually”.

It'll be interesting to see if original material can be a worthy companion piece to the '82 film, which is an adaptation of the novel by Philip K. Dick called Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?.

The Hobbit- Production Diary Video #4

2011-11-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

Not much to say but I love these teases. This one seems to be the most full of juicy information about the inner workings of the 3D process, as well as confirmation that the movies are indeed captured at 5K resolution. A total of 48 Red Epic cameras, all with names. Also good to see Elijah Wood and Hugo Weaving back in their parts as Frodo and Elrond, although some of that was in video #2.

For more on the new 48 fps and 60 fps high speed frame rate technique, check out my article over at About-Interface.

In case you missed the other production diaries, here is 1-3, here they are, right after the jump.

Mortal Kombat reboot to be made by successful MK rebootest

2011-10-03T22:31:00.000-07:00

The arrival of the dark and violent Mortal Kombat arcade game in 1992 was a pretty big deal. When Paul W. S. Anderson's live action on the brutal video game debuted in theaters 3 years later, people were very excited to see it, and it was said by many at the time to be the first movie made of a video game to not be terrible. Well, I do believe that most people who have dared to revisit the movie and see it for what it really is will find it... pretty darn bad. Yeah, I said bad. Of course, the sequel was just plain awful, but at least their is some humor in how terrible it was. Humor that maybe lasts a few minutes before finding the remote, anyway. No, the original movie that the future Mr. Milla Jovovich made was just plain cheesy, in my opinion. Sprinklings of cool, but mostly erm... Korny

Anyway, a man named Kevin Tancharoen wanted to do a Mortal Kombat movie so bad that he had decided to make a theatrical trailer to pitch the idea to executives. He hired actual actors like Michael Jai White and Teri Ryan to make it look like more than just a fan flick. (also, hats off to the DP) The short was made for $7,500 and a lot of people donated their time to make it. Well, it seems a so-called private resume piece turned into a phenomenon. The unfinished Mortal Kombat: Rebirth trailer was supposed to be locked on Youtube but was not and it went viral rather quickly. After 10 million hits, it did turn the heads of some execs at WB, though. They asked him to make a 10 part web series called Mortal Kombat: Legacy. They must have liked it because Tancharoen and Rebirth screenwriter Oren Uziel finally got their nod from New Line to make a feature film. What's odd is that Tancharoen's credits so far as a director include the 2009 remake of Fame and the Glee concert movie. This is probably mostly due to his dance choreography background. He has been a dance choreographer for Britney Spears and Madonna in the past. Oddly enough, he has been vocal about not wanting his fight scenes to look choreographed, but natural. Then again, maybe this isn't so odd after all. It would seem that the man knows what looks natural, what works and what doesn't with action and most importantly, he has a clear view of what Mortal Kombat should be.

Will people still care 20 years after the video game debut? Well, the recent video game remake has raked in over $3 million so far, so maybe that is another reason for New Line to want to cash in. That, and the fact that Tancharoen seems to be able to make a quality production with a modest budget.

What we know about the film:

No actors have yet been cast.
Storyline will not be bound to any events in the Legacy web series
Movie will be R-rated
Release is aimed for 2013

Dolphin Tale 3D Review

2011-09-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

The idea of this movie intrigued me for a couple of reasons. First, I grew up in the Tampa Bay area and remember going to the Clearwater Marine Science Center / Aquarium as a teen, and since I think that the TB area has not been represented nearly enough in movies, I am always curious what kind of production will choose to represent the area. The other big reason is probably the fact that both Morgan Freeman and Harry Connick Jr. are in the same movie together. Both are very likable individuals. Throw in a dolphin and it's like: "how is this all gonna work?" Well, I can say that they elevate this movie to a much higher ranking than it would have likely been without them.

What does work is the message of the movie. It is truly an inspiring story. Its almost hard to believe that these events happened the way they did, and it makes you wonder how much of it is "based" on a true story. As it is, the movie is just OK. Too bad because it could have been a classic! There are moments where the movie elevates to high levels of emotion, only to bring most adults to near-gagging, due to just plain trying too hard.. In fact, most of what is good in this movie is the fact that key elements and characters (especially Winter the dolphin) are real. What holds it back is that after starting to like the movie's genuine qualities of the characters, you get rewarded every time with something out of a cheesy play-book that was written somewhere in the '80s and has since only shown up on cable movies of the week and straight to video Disney DVDs. Its really too bad though. As I said, this could have been a classic. It could have been timeless! All it had to do was steer straight and keep it real. The kids wouldn't have liked the movie any less and it could have been something they would love again as adults.

See it in 3D? Many, I think probably believe that 3D for this type of movie would be unnecissary. I must say that if you feel like this kind of story is right for you and you already like 3D, then the 3D could really make the experience better. In fact, for me it made the movie better than it would have been without it. Only a couple of short scenes were a tad overdone, in my opinion; that being the blueprint scene and the RC helicopter scene, which were also 2 of my least favorite scenes in the movie, by the way. Agian, there are probably many who only want those kind of pop-out scenes for 3D to make 3D worth it. I just happen to really like natural-looking 3D, even though I see its shortcomings like dimming of the image and I have a bit of a time focusing at times.

Overall: 6.5 (out of 10)

3D Strikes Back!

2011-09-26T08:47:00.000-07:00

And they said it was a dying fad... That's what I've been hearing anyway, for about the past month and from what seemed like a whole lot of folks. (CNN, Gizmodo, Slate) From the dropping of RealD's stock to the finger-pointing at big summer blockbusters not earning as much in 3D as their 2D counterparts. Looking at you Harry Potter. It looks like the re-release of The Lion King (3D) has far exceeded expectations to the tune of $61,676,000 by its second weekend, spending 2 weeks at the #1 box office spot, even beating out Contagion in only its second week. Not bad for a movie already released 17 years ago.

When you look at some of the reasons for 3D's naysayers, you see that there was a whole lot of assumptions when we all know what that means about you and me... Lets look at the poor performance of movies where since Avatar with its 70% 3D intake, you have 3D revenues dropping under the 50% mark to their 2D counterparts. I think that this can be explained with a couple of things. First, the extra cost of 3D movie tickets is seen by many moviegoers as a risk, especially when some 3D versions have not been as good, as of late. An extra $4 a ticket adds up to $20 more for a family of 5. That is a pretty significant jump in price. When a movie like The Deathly Hallows Part II, the final act of the final book in the Harry Potter series comes out, I think it's clear that families decide: "Well, 2D worked just fine for the other 7 movies. Why potentially ruin the experience with a risk for the final act?". It's not just the premium that makes people shy away, but the actual risk of the experience being not as good. The difference with Lion King 3D is that here is a movie that I think adults want to experience in a way that is nearly a fresh to them as any child who has never yet seen this movie on the big screen before. I also think that the idea that old school, 2D animation being adapted to the 3rd dimension really peaks peoples' interest. They already know that the movie itself is worth the premium, even if the 3D effect isn't all that great, which turned out to be not the case.

Then you have the sagging 3D HDTV adoption. In its first true roll-out year, 3D HDTVs did really well. Now it seems that the demand is just not there. Why? Well, I believe it to be 2 factors. First you have the usual early adopter clause for everything latest and greatest. This is the person that is always willing to pay a premium for what's new. There is that word again: "Premium". In this case, you still have these manufacturers' R&D expenses being reflected in retail costs. The truth is that 3D is something that can be added to any HDTV set at very little to potentially no added cost. (sans the glasses) 3D in the home is being seen by some as a potential failure even though that is just an assumption. This is not to say that I think 3D will be used on every set, just as color phased out B&W sets. I do think that all sets could be 3D-ready, though. I do agree with the naysayers that 3D needs to be glasses-free before we go to complete saturation. As it is though, I can definitely see 3D used in more homes than 5.1 surround audio exists in, and I don't see people calling surround sound a failure. In fact, both share the same common pitfall, practicality. The second reason I think for slow adoption in the marketplace would be the content, which has been slow to move out, and relies on Blu-ray and not the standard DVD player that almost everybody and their grandbaby owns. The Blu-ray discs themselves have been slow to roll out, in spite of Sony's push for 3D in everything. This is classic 'chicken-and-egg' syndrome where content and electronic equipment get bound to a cyclical behavior of "we need this first". It will be movies like the Lion King that sell Blu-ray as a means to get 3D for the home. Other content like ESPN Monday Night Football in 3D will help at least pick up the slack, where movie content is falling short.

RED, creators of the amazing line of professional-grade digital movie cameras, teases new laser-powered projector, plans on continuing to drop jaws in newer ways

2011-09-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

In 2007, when Red founder Jim Jannard decided to sell off his Oakley eyewear and clothing empire that he started out of a handgrip line for BMX and motorcycles at $2 billion, he decided to start a revolution in a different field involving optics... digital movie cameras. These aren't just any cameras though, the company known as RED makes something different, technologically, as well as aesthetically. They are meant to be modular and upgradeable, as well as bleeding-edge. They range from the more modest pro-sumer budget range to big studio productions of "epic" proportions. They even have a modular DSLR still camera that is upgradeable. Their emerging flagship motion picture camera is in fact called the RED Epic, and some of the movies coming soon will surely impress. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (RED One/Epic), The Amazing Spider-man, and The Hobbit (parts I & II) should make people believe why this company is so special, as the camera is capable of 5K resolution, as well as capture speeds up to 140 frames a second. Whether or not the movie being filmed maxes the specs out or not, the picture quality is said by some to be the best ever seen from any movie camera ever made. (sans 70mm / IMAX, I would guess)

So when the Steve Jobs-like Jannard decides to start making a super-bright laser illuminated projector capable of 4K, (most theater projectors are still 2K) people should have their ears perked! There is also talk of a home version for folks that could afford well, a home front projector from RED.
From RedUser.net:

"After watching a demo of RED's laser projector I've been struggling to find a way to describe it. Comparing it to traditional professional systems is completely inadequate. I have never witnessed 3D that was as bright or brighter as the best 2D projections until now. It generated the best color, best dynamic range and best images I have ever seen in 3D or even 2D. When I learned we were watching at 1/4 of its total resolution I was speechless.

It was so clean and so vibrant the only thing I can compare it to is Cibachrome. That's it, a giant moving Cibachrome!"

Stephen Pizzo- Co-Founder of Element Technica and now partner of 3ality Technica.

"Aldey & I got treated to a sneak peak yesterday and we could not stop watching. You have to see it to believe it. I have NEVER seen better projection - from any projector - at any price point. I can't stop thinking about it. It was beyond stunning.

Mark L. Pederson- OffHollywood

Jim

More on specs when the official announcement is made.

Welcome to Nuscreen Cinema

2011-09-22T20:02:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to announce the launch of Nuscreen Cinema blog website. I have been itching to do a website/blog like this for years. Starting with sort of a soft launch, I will begin writing about cinema technology as well as maybe doing some movie reviews, after which I will slowly evolve the website into something more pleasing to the eye. Please enjoy.

Gordon Dewey