Archive for the ‘Previews’ Category

Comic-Con 2011 Movie Preview and Screening List

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

Comic book fans across the world are about to invade the San Diego Convention Center once again for Comic-Con International 2011. As the convention keeps getting bigger and bigger making everyone in the entertainment industry notice, this year’s schedule seems to have lost that big movie buzz that the Con was getting famous (and severely overcrowded) for. Sadly, there is a lot less programming for movies and a stronger focus on TV this time around. The largest notable absence is Marvel/Disney/Pixar who decided to pull out of the festivities and host their own convention a month later called D23 in Anaheim, CA. Warner Brothers is also a no-show on the movie side but has a huge slate for television. No worries though, other studios have promised to show a lot of exclusive footage and have many surprises in store!


Since this is advancescreenings.com, we’ll first list all of the free movie screenings that we know about. How do you get passes? Many passes have already been giving out from various websites for the Captain America and Attack the Block screenings, however, you’ll be able to snag tickets around the convention floor as well as around the Gaslamp district. For the Cowboys & Aliens screening, there will be golden bricks hidden around the area which could win you tickets to the World Premiere at the San Diego Civic Theater! Other screenings are pretty open so just follow the links provided for more information! We’ll be updating this page with more screenings as we hear about them.

  • The Devil’s Double
    Wednesday, July 20th 9:00pm
    (source: Gofobo)
  • Captain America: The First Avenger
    Thursday, July 21st 10:00am
    (source: Gofobo)
  • Drive
    Thursday, July 21st 7:00pm
    (source: Gofobo)
  • Attack the Block
    Thursday, July 21st 10:00pm
    (source: Collider)
  • Chillerama
    Friday, July 22nd 7:00pm
    (source: Fangoria)
  • 30 Minutes or Less
    Friday, July 22nd 8:00pm
    (source: Collider)
  • Chromeskull: Laid to Rest 2
    Friday, July 22nd 9:45pm
    (source: Fangoria)
  • Fright Night
    Friday, July 22nd 11:30pm
    (source: FilmMetro)
  • Griff the Impossible
    Saturday, July 23rd 7:00pm
    (source: The Hollywood Reporter)
  • Cowboys & Aliens
    Saturday, July 23rd 7:00pm
    (source: Collider)
  • Recreator
    Saturday, July 23rd 11:30pm
    (source: Facebook)

Know of a screening that we’re missing? E-mail us at comiccon@advancescreenings.com! There are always surprise screenings that no one knows about so keep your eyes open for passes around the convention center and gaslamp district!



And now for the highlighted movie panels on this year’s Comic-Con program:


Thursday, July 21


11:15-12:15 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1

Summit Entertainment presents a sneak peek at the highly anticipated next chapter of The Twilight Saga. This is a must see for fans interested in the story’s final chapters. You’ll see exclusive footage from The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 1 and be treated to a filmmaker and cast Q&A session providing details on the first half of the epic two-part finale.

Hall H



12:45-1:15 Animation Showcase

Sony Pictures Animation plunges Hall H into a 3D animation universe with previews of upcoming films with Aardman, the home studio of Wallace and Gromit, as they make their first trip across the pond to Comic-Con to present a first look at two of their upcoming animated feature films:

Arthur Christmas — The 3D, CG-animated family comedy Arthur Christmas, an Aardman production for Sony Pictures Animation, at last reveals the incredible, never-before seen answer to every child’s question: “So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?” The answer: Santa’s exhilarating, ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole. But at the heart of the film is a story with the ingredients of a Christmas classic — a family in a state of comic dysfunction and an unlikely hero, Arthur, with an urgent mission that must be completed before Christmas morning dawns. Producer Peter Lord and co-writer Peter Baynham discuss the animated film.


The Pirates! Band of Misfits — In the 3D, stop motion-animated The Pirates! Band of Misfits, Hugh Grant, stars in his first animated role as the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain — a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the High Seas. With a rag-tag crew at his side (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen), and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) to the much coveted Pirate Of The Year Award. It’s a quest that takes our heroes from the shores of exotic Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London. Along the way they battle a diabolical queen (Imelda Staunton) and team up with a haplessly smitten young scientist (David Tennant), but never lose sight of what a pirate loves best: adventure! Director/producer Peter Lord will be live on stage to talk about the movie.

Hall H



1:15-1:45 A One on One with Pee-wee Herman
Beloved pop culture icon, Pee-wee Herman, takes the stage at Comic-Con to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Pee-wee’s Playhouse, and talk about his Emmy nominated HBO special, The Pee-wee Herman Show On Broadway. Pee-wee will debut a clip from The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway, as well as answer questions from the audience and talk about what it’s like to be embraced by the fans, his love for social media, the upcoming The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway DVD release, and what it feels like to go toe-to-toe against Bette Midler and Lady Gaga for an Emmy.

Hall H



2:00-3:00 Napoleon Dynamite

Original cast members from the hit indie film including Jon Heder, Tina Majorino, Efren Ramirez, Jon Gries, Sandy Martin, Diedrich Bader and executive producer Mike Scully (The Simpsons) present a new series following your favorite awkward teenager like you’ve never seen him before — animated! Join us for a sneak peek at never-before-seen footage of the newest member of FOX’s Animation Domination lineup and a “sweet” Q&A session.

Room 7AB



2:00-3:00 FilmDistrict Studio Panel

FilmDistrict, the new studio that brought you Insidious, celebrates two upcoming features: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, a Guillermo Del Toro production starring Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce, and Drive, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman, and Christina Hendricks. Exclusive footage will be presented and a Q&A will be held for both films.

Hall H



2:00-3:00 Warner Premiere: H+ and Mortal Kombat: Legacy

From producer Bryan Singer (X-Men, X2, X-Men: First Class, Superman Returns) comes a Comic-Con exclusive first look at H+, the forthcoming Warner Premiere/Dolphin Entertainment web series directed by Stewart Hendler (Sorority Row) and written and created by John Cabrera and Cosimo De Tommaso. H+ takes place in a near-future world where a tiny and stunning new piece of technology lies at the center of a dark and epic mystery. Then, Mortal Kombat: Legacy, a hit web series with over 35 million views, takes the stage for a panel discussion with director Kevin Tancharoen (Mortal Kombat: Rebirth), Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Voyager), Michael Jai White (The Dark Knight), Darren Shahlavi (Sanctuary), Peter Shinkoda (Falling Skies), and Matt Mullins (Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight). Fans will see — for the first time — the long-awaited final Mortal Kombat: Legacy episode!

Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront



3:15-4:30 20th Century Fox

At past Comic-Cons, 20th Century Fox has previewed Independence Day, X2, Avatar, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. You won’t want to miss the excitement this year, as Fox presents first-looks at some of its most-anticipated pictures of 2011 and 2012.

Hall H



4:00-5:00 Masters of the Web

Some of the most prominent and influential film pundits on the web discuss the film industry, writing for film online, film fandom, and a whole lot more. Panelists include Peter Sciretta (Slashfilm.com), Anne Thompson (Thompson on Hollywood), Jen Yamato (Movieline.Com), Scott Beggs (FilmSchoolRejects.Com), Sasha Perl-Raver (Movieweb.com), Vic Holtreman (Screenrant.Com), Jenna Busch (Moviefone), and Mike Sampson (JoBlo.Com), hosted by John Campea (AMC Theatres).

Room 5AB



4:45-5:45 Robert Rodriguez’s Quick Draw Productions

Be the first to get a sneak peek at Robert Rodriguez‘s upcoming films. Robert presents Quick Draw’s new slate featuring special guest collaborators. He will also show exclusive material from his latest top-secret project.

Hall H



6:00-7:00 Entertainment Weekly: The Visionaries: A discussion with Jon
Favreau and Guillermo del Toro on the Future of Pop Culture
EW moderates an in-depth conversation with Jon Favreau (Cowboys & Aliens) and Guillermo del Toro (Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark), two filmmakers at the forefront of bringing geek culture to the masses and making blockbuster art out of pulp fiction. They will discuss their inspirations, their current work, and how they strive to put a personal stamp on blockbuster entertainment. Plus: How is new technology changing the way stories are produced and viewed? And what do they think the pop culture universe will look like a decade from now? Moderated by Jeff “Doc” Jensen.

Hall H



8:30-10:00 Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Sing along with your fellow fans at this screening of the original three acts of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog hosted by the California Browncoats, complete with callbacks! Dr. Horrible stars Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Nathan Fillion (Castle, Firefly), and Felicia Day (The Guild) and was written by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon (Dollhouse), Zack Whedon (Fringe), and Maurissa Tancharoen (Dollhouse).

Room 6BCF





Friday, July 22


10:15-11:15 Epix Pictures: The Captains
William Shatner is joined by fellow Star Trek captain Avery Brooks to present a preview of the EPIX Pictures original documentary produced and directed by Shatner, in which he travels the world to interview all the actors who’ve played Starfleet captains. This lively discussion and Q&A session is moderated by Comic-Con fave Kevin Smith.

Room 6BCF



11:00-12:00 Paramount: The Adventures of Tin-Tin

Tintin and his friends discover directions to a sunken ship commanded by Capt. Haddock’s ancestor and go off on a treasure hunt.

Hall H



11:45-12:45 Nickelodeon & DreamWorks Animation: Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness

The bodacity continues as Po the panda punches his way onto a new animated series. Executive producer Peter Hastings and supervising producers Randy Dormans band Gabe Swarr present an exclusive sneak peek into the new series by Nickelodeon and Dreamworks. This panel will also include select moments with voice cast members Mick Wingert (Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special), James Hong (Kung Fu Panda 2), Kevin Michael Richardson (Penguins of Madagascar), and John DiMaggio (Penguins of Madagascar), followed by a screening. Moderated by Megan Casey, executive in charge for Nickelodeon.

Room 6A



12:15-1:15 Relativity Media: Raven and Haywire

Two fantastic films from Relativity Media debut in this Hall H presentation.

Raven — The film is a gritty thriller in which Edgar Allan Poe joins forces with a young Baltimore detective to hunt down a mad serial killer who’s using Poe’s own works as the basis for a string of brutal murders. Raven stars John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe, Luke Evans, and Alice Eve and is directed by James McTeigue.


Haywire — An electrifying tale of espionage and betrayal. A female covert ops specialist who works in the deadly world of international operatives strikes back after discovering she’s been double-crossed by someone close to her in the agency. Mixed martial arts superstar Gina Carano makes her feature film — and Comic-Con — debut, starring and performing her own high-adrenaline stunts. Also appearing is director Stephen Soderbergh.

Hall H



12:45-1:45 Legendary Pictures: Preproduction Preview

Legendary Pictures holds its first-ever Comic-Con panel and shares an early look at some of the movies on the company’s upcoming film slate. Fans will be able to access Legendary’s plans, garner sneak peeks at their movies in preproduction, and hear from filmmakers and cast members from the upcoming Pacific Rim, Seventh Son, Paradise Lost, and Mass Effect. Panel participants include Jeff Bridges, Bradley Cooper, Guillermo del Toro, Ben Barnes, Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Alicia Vikander, Alex Proyas, Sergei Bodrov, Travis Beacham, Mark Protosevich, and Casey Hudson.

Room 6BCF



1:30-2:30 Screen Gems: Underworld Awakening and Attack the Block

Screen Gems presents two big new movie previews to Comic-Con fans!

Underworld Awakening brings a stunning new dimension to the epic battle between Vampires and Lycans as the first film in the franchise to shoot in 3D. Kate Beckinsale, star of the first two films, returns in her lead role as the vampire warrior Selene, who escapes imprisonment to find that humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species. Appearing in person are Kate Beckinsale, Michael Ealy, Len Wiseman (producer and director of Underworld and Underworld: Evolution), and directors Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein.


It’s the inner city vs. outer space from the producers of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Attack the Block follows a gang of tough inner-city kids who try to defend their turf against an invasion of savage alien creatures, turning a South London apartment complex into an extraterrestrial warzone. This is the film you’ve been hearing about since its debut at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin where it won the Midnight Screening Audience Award. Funny, frightening, surprising, wildly entertaining and winning rave reviews across the country. Appearing in person will be John Boyega (Moses), director Joe Cornish, and producer Edgar Wright.

Hall H



2:45-3:45 DreamWorks: Fright Night

Colin Farrell (The Way Back), Anton
Yelchin (Star Trek), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad), Imogen Poots (Jane Eyre), Dave Franco (Charlie St. Cloud), director Craig Gillespie (Lars
and the Real Girl), and
screenwriter Marti Noxon (I Am Number Four) take the dais to
give fans a taste of the horrific fun to come in DreamWorks Pictures’ 3D
reimagining of the classic horror film.

Hall H


4:00-6:30 Sony

Sony returns to Hall H with a stellar lineup of films and talent, including:

Ghost Rider-Spirit of Vengeance — After blazing a trail around the globe in the worldwide hit Ghost Rider, Nicolas Cage returns as Johnny Blaze in Columbia Pictures’ Ghost Rider-Spirit of Vengeance. Still struggling with his curse as the devil’s bounty hunter, Blaze is hiding out in a remote part of Eastern Europe when he is recruited by a secret sect to save a young boy (Fergus Riordan) from the devil (Ciaran Hinds). At first, Johnny is reluctant to embrace the power of the Ghost Rider again, but it is the only way to protect the boy — and possibly rid himself of his curse forever. Live on stage: directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (Crank) and stars Nicolas Cage, Idris Elba, and Johnny Whitworth.


30 Minutes or Less — From Ruben Fleischer, the director of Zombieland, comes the action comedy 30 Minutes or Less. In the movie, Nick (Jesse Eisenberg of The Social Network and Zombieland) is a small town pizza delivery guy whose mundane life collides with the big plans of two wannabe criminal masterminds (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson). The duo kidnap Nick and force him to rob a bank. With only a few hours to pull off the impossible task, Nick enlists the help of his ex-best friend, Chet (Aziz Ansari). As the clock ticks, the two must deal with the police, hired assassins, flamethrowers, and their own tumultuous relationship. Talent in attendance includes director Ruben Fleischer and stars Aziz Ansari, Nick Swardson, and Michael Peña.


Total Recall — Welcome to Rekall, the company that with one little implant can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Doug Quaid (Colin Farrell), the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his ordinary existence. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. With the line between fantasy and reality blurred and the fate of his world hanging in the balance, Quaid goes on the run to discover his true identity, his true love, and his true fate. Based on Philip K. Dick’s classic story “I Can Remember It for You Wholesale,” this new take on some of his most visionary ideas is directed by Len Wiseman and stars Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, and John Cho, all of whom will be appearing.


The Amazing Spider-Man — The Amazing Spider-Man is back on the big screen, shot in 3D for the first time, and will be swinging into your neighborhood on July 3, 2012. Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, and Martin Sheen, as well as Sally Field, and directed by Marc Webb, The Amazing Spider-Man‘s new creative team will be taking a whole new direction in the unfolding saga of everyone’s favorite web-slinger. Appearing in person are producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach, director Marc Webb, and our own Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy — Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone.

Hall H



6:45-7:45 RiffTrax Live
Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett (RiffTrax.com, Mystery Science Theater 3000) return to Comic-Con to perform another live, hilarious riff to a classic short! Join the riffers for fun, laughs, and the latest news about their upcoming Jack the Giant Killer live show, a one-night event playing in select movie theaters nationwide in August. RiffTrax.com is the site where MST3K-style humor meets mainstream movies, TV shows, and vintage shorts. At RiffTrax they don’t make movies, they make them funny!

Room 6DE



6:45-7:30 At the Drive-In

Come with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear when one of the few places you could see some offbeat genre films and a slew of trailers was at your local Drive-In. We’re trying something new at Comic-Con this year by giving some up and coming genre filmmakers an evening berth to preview their upcoming films. Moderated by writer/director Robert Meyer Burnett (Free Enterprise). As San Diego gets darker tonight, so will Hall H as we welcome our first guests to the Virtual Drive-In:

Grave Encounters — Locked in an actual abandoned mental hospital, the crew of a ghost-hunting reality show find themselves trapped in a psychotically endless and deadly labyrinth. Written and directed by The Vicious Brothers, Grave Encounters, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year, takes the found footage horror genre to a terrifying new level. Appearing on stage: The Vicious Brothers.


Tucker & Dale vs. Evil –Tucker and Dale are two best friends on vacation at their dilapidated mountain house, who are mistaken for murderous backwoods hillbillies by a group of obnoxious, preppy college kids. When one of the students gets separated from her friends, the boys try to lend a hand, but as the misunderstanding grows, so does the body count. Tucker & Dale Vs Evil has been a hit on the festival circuit, debuting at Sundance, and winning the Midnight Audience Award at SXSW, the Jury Prize for First Feature at Fantasia, the Best Director award at Fantaspoa, and the Best Motion Picture Award at Sitges. Confirmed panelists include Eli Craig, Alan Tudyk, and Tyler Labine.

Hall H





Saturday, July 23


11:45-12:45 TWIXT: Francis Ford Coppola and Dan Deacon

Legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola and acclaimed musician Dan Deacon present sequences from Coppola’s latest film, TWIXT, and involve the audience in a dress rehearsal of the completely unique and innovative way they plan on performing it. Plus a Q&A session.

Hall H



1:00-2:00 Relativity Media: Immortals

Visionary director Tarsem Singh transports viewers in this epic tale of treachery, vengeance, and destiny in this stylish and visually spectacular 3D action adventure. The brutal and bloodthirsty King Hyperion and his murderous Heraklion (Mickey Rourke) rampage across Greece in search of the long lost Bow of Epirus. With the invincible Bow, the king will be able to overthrow the Gods of Olympus and become the undisputed master of his world. As village after village is obliterated, a stonemason named Theseus vows to avenge his mother, who was killed in one of Hyperion’s brutal raids. When Theseus meets the Sybelline Oracle Phaedra, her disturbing visions of the young man’s future convince her that he is the key to stopping the destruction. With her help, Theseus assembles a small band of followers and embraces his destiny in a final, desperate battle for the future of humanity. Stars Henry Cavill, Stephen Dorff, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans, Kellan Lutz will participate in this panel alongside producers Gianni Nunnari and Mark Canton.

Hall H



2:15-3:15 IndieVest Pictures: Knights of Badassdom

In this humorous fantasy adventure from IndieVest Pictures, Joe (Ryan Kwanten) is a heavy metal rocker who’s just gone through a painful breakup with his girlfriend, Beth (Margarita Levieva). His concerned roommates (Steve Zahn, Peter Dinklage) kidnap him to their LARP (Live Action Role Playing) gathering, where he enters a realm of fantasy escapism in which pretend knights, elves, and barbarians clash with foam weaponry on a mock battlefield. When Joe’s “sorcerer” roommate (Zahn) inadvertently summons a deadly succubus that takes Beth’s seductive form, bloody reality crashes down on their fantasy world. Once LARPers start to turn up dead, the make-believe wizards and warriors must become the real-life heroes they have been pretending to be in order to conquer the evil that has been unleashed. The panel will include a Comic-Con exclusive trailer and a discussion/Q&A with stars Ryan Kwanten (HBO’s True Blood, Red Hill), Peter Dinklage (HBO’s Game of Thrones, Station Agent), Steve Zahn, pending availability (HBO’s Tremé, Saving Silverman), Summer Glau (Firefly, Serenity, The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Danny Pudi (NBC’s Community), Jimmi Simpson, pending availability (A&E’s Breakout Kings, Date Night), Margarita Levieva (The Lincoln Lawyer, Adventureland). and director Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2). Knights of Badassdom will be released in Spring 2012.

Hall H



3:00-4:00 Dark Horse: Joss Whedon

Long before signing on to helm one of the most anticipated superhero films in history, Joss Whedon rewarded fans the world over with some of the most compelling characters and plot lines in the history of comics, television, and movies. Here’s your chance to find out what he has in store for us next, including a sneak peek at the brand-new Angel & Faith and Buffy Season 9 comics, plus exciting news about Buffy digital comics!

Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront



3:30-4:15 Universal Pictures: Snow White and the Huntsmen

Universal Pictures is bringing the stars and filmmakers of its epic action-adventure film based on the script Snow White and the Huntsman to Comic-Con. Scheduled to appear to discuss their roles in this breathtaking new vision of the legendary tale are Kristen Stewart (Twilight), Oscar winner Charlize Theron (Prometheus), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), and Sam Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides). Director Rupert Sanders (Halo 3 campaign) and other filmmakers will also be on hand to reveal exclusive footage. Q&A session to follow.

Hall H



5:45-7:30 An Early Evening with Kevin Smith

You know Comic-Con is over for the night on Saturday when the fat man sings. Kevin Smith takes to the Hall H stage for his annual Q&A. Fair warning: he works bluer than Doctor Manhattan (though, unlike Doctor Manhattan, Smith will wear clothes for this performance).

Hall H





Comic-Con is the leading comic book convention in the world. Over the years, it has become a platform for movie studios to debut exclusive information and footage from their upcoming films.
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The 54th Annual San Francisco International Film Festival

Friday, April 22nd, 2011

As we wrap up our coverage from South By Southwest, we’re heading right into another festival, but this time on our home turf! We’re attending to the 54th Annual San Francisco International Film Festival. Founded in 1957, the San Francisco International Film Festival is the longest-running film festival in the Americas. This year’s lineup is a vibrant mix of narratives, documentaries and shorts from around the world. You can expect a few dark comedies, twisted tales and thought-provoking ideas. For the next 2 weeks, San Francisco will be hypnotized by the big screen at some of the nicest venues including the Sundance Kabuki and grand Castro Theatre.


Here’s a preview of some of the films that we’re excited to check out and if you’re around the bay, you should come watch too! I recommend buying the CineVoucher 10-pack because after one day at the festival, it’s impossible not to want to see more! As always, you can follow @matthewfong for real time updates from the festival.



Cinema By The Bay
Films by local filmmakers from around the bay area
American Teacher
Chronicling the stories of four teachers in different areas of the country, American Teacher reveals the frustrating realities for today’s educators, the difficulty in attracting talented new teachers and why so many of our best teachers leave the profession altogether. World Premiere (USA 2010, 81 min)


Crime After Crime
This intimate look at a female prisoner and the two pro bono lawyers fighting for her release is a must-see documentary for those interested in the power of film to change the course of events. Shot over a five-and-a-half year period, the saga of one woman’s case resounds with broader social implications. (USA 2011, 93 min) GGA Documentary Feature Contender


Miss Representation
Through interviews with Gloria Steinem, Margaret Cho and dozens more, this documentary explores women’s under- representation in positions of power, challenging their limited, often disparaging portrayal in the media. Can we convince a new generation that women’s primary value lies in their capacity as leaders rather than merely their youth, beauty and sexuality? (USA 2011, 85 min)


The Selling
For most people affected by the recent housing market crash, the impact was financial. Super nice real estate agent Richard Scarry has an additional burden: the paranormal. This startlingly funny debut feature takes many of the tropes of haunted house films and employs them to exciting, witty and original ends. World Premiere (USA 2010, 92 min)


Something Ventured
Silicon Valley, Apple, Intel, Cisco Systems—they might never have been if not for the enterprising inventors and financiers who joined forces to create a new approach to business called “venture capitalism.” This intriguing, often funny documentary uses inisghtful interviews and vintage footage to examine the stories and conflicts behind these now familiar names. (USA 2011, 84 min)



Personal Picks
After going through the program, I marked over 40 films, but these are the ones that really stood out to me
Blessed Events
After a New Year’s Eve of listless partying that ends in a one-night stand, Simone discovers she’s pregnant. The father is not only delighted but good-looking, kind and eager to build a life with her. Simone’s suspicions soon grow, however. Are these truly blessed events, or is this domestic bliss too good to be true? (Germany 2010, 91 min)


HAHAHA
Over drinks, two friends agree to swap fond memories of their recent trips to the same seaside town. As the stories unfold in flashback, we realize their accounts take place at the same time—and with the same people—in this potent swirl of chance encounters, nostalgia, heartbreak and grace from Korea’s highly regarded auteur. (South Korea 2010, 116 min)


The High Life
Combining street realism and artifice, the first fiction feature by the director of acclaimed documentaries Street Life and Ghost Town depicts hustlers, migrants, prisoners and others on the shabby outskirts of Guangzhou, where everyone is on the move but nobody is getting anywhere. US Premiere (China 2010, 96 min) New Directors Prize Contender


The Joy
In Rio, a group of young students (played by a memorable cast of nonprofessionals) transcends the hard truths of their lives through spirit and imagination in this magical realist urban teen adventure. Led by the charismatic Luiza, the group creates poetry and mirth in a collapsing world. North American Premiere (Brazil 2010, 106 min)


Life, Above All
This inspiring coming-of-age story about a preteen girl dealing with several family crises, including her mother’s battle with AIDS, pits the community-ravaging effects of teenage prostitution, alcoholism, infant mortality and the HIV epidemic against a single household and one heartbreakingly resilient child. (South Africa/Germany 2010, 106 min)


She Monkeys
This psychological drama and coming-of- age story explores the friendship and rivalry between two teenage girls competing for a spot on the local equestrian vaulting team. Manipulating each other with physical challenges and budding sexuality, they find themselves locked in an escalating battle for control that only one of them can win. (Sweden 2011, 84 min) New Directors Prize Contender


Walking Too Fast
The psyche of a ruthless secret agent in Cold War Czechoslovakia begins to unravel when he obsesses over the girlfriend of a suspected subversive he is tracking. This taut political thriller is a bleak and potent rendering of the emotional destruction wreaked by totalitarianism. North American Premiere (Czech Republic/Slovakia/Poland 2009, 146 min)



Nighttime Scares
These are films you definitely want to see at night…be prepared to jump out your seats!
The Selling
For most people affected by the recent housing market crash, the impact was financial. Super nice real estate agent Richard Scarry has an additional burden: the paranormal. This startlingly funny debut feature takes many of the tropes of haunted house films and employs them to exciting, witty and original ends. World Premiere (USA 2010, 92 min)


Stake Land
Martin and Mister are two of the few remaining survivors of a global apocalypse caused by rampaging (and ravenous) vampire zombies. Pursued by crazed cultists and marauding monsters, they try to make their way to a rumored encampment of remaining humans in this visually gritty dystopian tale where human beings are even worse than the beasts running amok. (USA 2010, 96 min)


The Troll Hunter
Equal parts Blair Witch Project and Jurassic Park, this is a “raw” CGI-filled romp through troll lore. Student journalists making a documentary on bear poaching in the Norwegian countryside stumble upon a secret war between government operatives and stony giants. Thrust into danger and intrigue, the students suddenly need to bone up on troll defense. (Norway 2010, 103 min)



See you at the Kabuki ;) You can check out the rest of SFIFF’s lineup here: http://fest11.sffs.org/films/. Have any films you want us to check out for you? Let us know!

an Francisco International Film FestivalThis post is part of our SFIFF coverage
Founded in 1957, the San Francisco International Film Festival is the longest-running film festival in the Americas. Held each spring for two weeks, the International is an extraordinary showcase of cinematic discovery and innovation in the country’s most beautiful city, featuring some 150 films and live events with more than 100 filmmakers in attendance and nearly two dozen awards presented for cinematic excellence. The Festival attracts an annual audience of more than 80,000.Visit an Francisco International Film Festival’s Official Website

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Q&A with TRON: Legacy Director Joseph Kosinski from San Francisco’s Tron Night!

Friday, October 29th, 2010

Tron NightAcross the world, Disney presented Tron Night the same way 20th Century Fox did for Avatar last year. Fans were treated to 23+ minutes of the film in an exclusive sneak peek before the December 17th theatrical release date. Before our screening in San Francisco started, we were surprised with a special guest…the director of Tron: Legacy, Joseph Kosinski!


First, he thanked everyone for coming out since he knew there were other things worth doing that night (The San Francisco Giants were playing at home for the 2nd game of the World Series). Someone abruptly yelled, “What’s the score!” and Joseph got to announce to the audience that the Giants were leading 1 – 0 making the audience cheer (they took all our cell phones so no one could check the score). That wasn’t the last time the audience would be cheering. The reason why he was in San Francisco was because he’s putting the final touches on the soundtrack of the movie up at Skywalker Ranch about an hour away.


He continued to do a short Q&A for the audience. I tried writing down as much as I could so here are some bullet points of the answers he gave:

  • Bit is hidden in the movie, you have to look for him.
  • Jeff Bridges plays 2 major roles: Kevin Flynn and Flynn’s Avatar
  • Kosinski stated that he has a background in design and loved the fact that he was able to design from scratch with Tron: Legacy
  • Someone asked what the difference between this film and the original would be? The crowd groaned and Joesph answered, “Everything”.
  • In an answer to a question about Syd Mead’s involvement in Tron: Legacy, Kosinski answered that Syd was kind of the original creative genius so he has a huge influence. He did get Syd to come by the studio.
  • They totally rebuilt a working Flynn’s Arcade from scratch and Kosinski mentioned that he always had to pull Garrett Hedlund and Jeff Bridges from playing Tron and Battlezone
  • Someone asked, “Is there life after de-rezzing?” Joseph replied, “That’s a good question…kind of a philosophical question. You’ll have to wait and watch the movie to see if it answers it”
  • They built 20+ physical sets and had real illuminated suits (in reply to how much was virtual and how much was real)
  • Someone noted that Pacman was in the original and asked if there would be other video game icons in the film. Joseph said there are easter eggs in the movie.
  • When asked about the pressure of making a Tron sequel, Joseph Kosinski said that any director feels pressure when their movie is coming out and he just tried his best. The 1st Tron set the bar so high so everyone just tried their best.
  • The score was recorded with a full orchestra in London. The music is all done now and they’re doing sound design and mixing at Skywalker ranch.
  • There are lots of tie-ins with the viral marketing and the movie as well as the video game. He’s glad you like the viral marketing and said it’s been a lot of fun.
  • The game is done by Propaganda Studios up in Vancouver. They talked to them very early in the processes. All of the models in the movie are high res digital and they gave all the assets to the game studio so he called it was a real nice tight marriage.
  • When asked about 3D, Joesph said that the movie was always thought to be 3D from the first conception so it’s a true 3D movie. Even the first visual effect test they did for Comic Con was done with a 3D camera.
  • On the first title, tr2n instead of Tron: Legacy, Kosinski said that it was just a working title he came up with. He then said that this is not a true sequel, anyone who’s not a fan can walk into it and enjoy so Tron: Legacy is a better suited name than tr2n.



So what about the footage? How was it? If you’ve been going to different events (like Comic-Con) showing scenes, you’ve seen most of it. The scenes shown for Tron Night were: Scene 20 Sam’s Apartment, Scene 27 Recognizer Capture, Scene 32 Disc Wars (with the sexiest programs I’ve ever seen), Scene 52 Escape Route (where we first see Olivia Wilde’s Quorra), and Scene 56 The Safehouse (where we get the reunion between Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) and his father Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges)) followed by a montage. Everything looked beautiful but I was underwhelmed by the 3D. I think I’d rather see this film in 2D because the visual effects are just so detailed and the 3D just seemed to get in the way for me…if at all, it really doesn’t come off the screen and make you feel immersed quite like Avatar did.


You can see a lot of the footage in this small music video of Daft Punk’s “Derezzed:




The sound, on the other hand, took my breath away. It literally stole the show. I almost want to watch the movie with my eyes closed because you can really feel what’s going on. The soundtrack was done by Daft Punk and you could really hear their influence in some of the tense scenes (like entering the arena for the Disc Wars). Other than the 3D, Tron Night did its job and is making me want to see Tron: Legacy even more! I can’t wait for December! Oh, and did somebody say Lightships!?

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Q&A with Going the Distance Director Nanette Burstein

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

Going the DistanceAfter a screening of Going the Distance last night, the director, Nanette Burstein, sat down to answer a few questions from the audience. We’ll have a full review of the film (which was great) in a couple of weeks closer to the release date. Below is a paraphrased recap of the Q&A session.


Nanette Burstein has primarily directed documentaries and commercials. Her most well known film is American Teen, a film which followed a set of seniors in high school, which won the Directing Award at Sundance in 2008. Going the Distance is her first fiction feature length film. Going the Distance is a romantic comedy about long distance relationships starring Drew Barrymore and Justin Long.


Nanette Burstein was attracted to this project because she herself has been in a long distance relationship and knows the problems and pains that come along with it. She loved all the comedy that was in the script and liked the angle of gender issues. With long distance relationships, the woman almost always has to give up everything for the couple but in this day and age, that’s changing. Nanette went to Drew Barrymore to get involved. Traditionally, Barrymore is America’s sweetheart in romantic comedies but she’s never been in an R-Rated project. The movie was always planned to be an R-rated film so they had the liberty to drop a lot of “F” bombs and apparently Drew Barrymore loved to use them!

Going the Distance

This is what happens when you pass out drunk...


The script was born out of a night of hard drinking (like most good things). Geoff LaTulippe, the writer, was a script reader at the studio and an executive was in a long distance relationship at the time. They were drinking buddies and continually complained to each other about how bad the scripts that came in to the studio were so they decided that they would write something better. And they did. When Nanette got involved, they rewrote the script a few times but in the end, half the movie was improvised anyway.


They shot the script for every scene but then also shot a lot of improvised scenes. They also made new scenes while they were filming…it was a continually evolving project and experiment. Nanette did some scenes with small digital cameras that weren’t even in the script at all and eventually used them because they tested so well with audiences.
Going the Distance

Drew Barrymore and Justin Long in Going the Distance


Justin Long’s character has an obsession with Top Gun and Tom Cruise in the film and luckily one of the execs is friends with Tom. So to get him to sign off on rights to his image, the exec told him that Drew Barrymore and Justin Long would be screwing right under a poster of him and asked, “You in?”. Tom Cruise said Yeah! I love Drew and Justin!


Going the Distance was a great movie. It’s a romantic comedy for this generation with dirty jokes and all. It’ll have you laughing from beginning to end and quoting the lines afterwards. Here’s a trailer and be sure to check out our Going the Distance Advance Screening List for your chance to see the film early! It comes out Friday, August 27th.


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Universal’s Comic-Con Panel: Paul and Cowboys & Aliens

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Paul


From the creators of Shawn of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, comes a hilarious-looking comedy 7 years in the making. Basically, there was bad weather during the scene in Shawn of the Dead where they were outside throwing records at a zombie. They thought to themselves how cool would it be to do a road trip from California down to Wyoming in an RV so they started spit-firing some ideas of an alien movie in the desert. They teamed up with the director of Superbad, Greg Mottola.

Paul

The Paul Panel at Comic-Con


They showed an extended first-cut trailer for us and it looked great! Paul, who is voiced by Seth Rogen, is a bad-mouth bad-ass alien. Some of the lines he said were like, “Hey Fucknuts, it’s probing time!” and in response to, “How can I hear you? Are you using neural translation?” Paul says, “Actually, I’m speaking English you fucking retard.” So you can get a taste of the flavor of this creature from a galaxy far far away…farther than Comic-Con. It was great for the Comic-Con audience because the beginning of Paul is actually set AT Comic-Con. They tried to film at the official San Diego Comic-Con but in the words of the San Diego Fire Marshall: “No Fucking Way.”
Paul

The Paul Panel at Comic-Con (side view)


The cast is a collection of some of the greatest comedy actors today including Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Kristen Wiig (Date Night), Bill Hader (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Jeffrey Tambor (The Hangover), Joe Lo Truglio (Role Models), Seth Rogen (The Green Hornet), and Sigourney Weaver (Baby Mama).




Cowboys & Aliens


Comic-Con should be renamed Favreau-Con because in the last few years, he has presented some of the best panels and knows how to hype up the crowd. No one knew what he was going to show or who he was going to bring because the film is shooting right now in New Mexico and has only been doing so for about a month. But Jon Favreau knew he had to bring something to Comic-Con to show the crowds so he went straight to the editing room and cut some exclusive scenes for us. The film won’t come out for another year and is to be launched right after the next Comic-Con!
Cowboys & Aliens

Jon Favreau presenting his next film: Cowboys & Aliens


Well I was amazed with how much they showed. We saw the stars of the movie, Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, and Harrison Ford in this old time western. It’s being shot in glorious 2D since Favreau didn’t want to shoot in stereo. Cowboys & Aliens is going to be a by the book western, they’re going to just play it straight but mix it with old sci-fi from before there was CG and then put in the CGI. The footage Favreau backed it up and we got to see the feel of the movie which is truly a western. But what’s that in the sky!? And what’s that on Craig’s wrist?? I can’t wait a year.

Comic-Con is the leading comic book convention in the world. Over the years, it has become a platform for movie studios to debut exclusive information and footage from their upcoming films.
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Comic-Con WB Panel: The Green Lantern, Harry Potter, and Sucker Punch

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

The Green Lantern PosterThe Green Lantern


With about 3 weeks of shooting left to go, the cast and crew of The Green Lantern came to present what they’ve been working on. In the DC Universe, this is the most anticipated movie on the slate and from the way Geoff Johns, Chief Creative Officer of DC, was talking, it sounds like the rest of the DC movies hang on the success or failure of the Green Lantern (like the possibility of a Justice League movie). Martin Campbell is the director of The Green Lantern and this is his first superhero movie. He said that the tone of the movie is real action mixed with some humor courtesy of Reynolds and Blake. It’s great fun but also a great adventure. There’s been a lot of debate of the costume which will be entirely CGI. It’s the tradition black and green but they lost the white gloves because they think its cooler and more interesting. There are 7 lines that haven’t been seen yet which evolve from the ring which are along the muscles. He said it’s still a work in progress.

The Green Lantern Panel

The Green Lantern Panel


Donald DeLine (producer) said that the opportunities in this movie is great because they’re able to take us to the center of the universe to Oa. We also are going to see about 3600 digitally made green lanterns including some of the favorites. Geoff said that 10 years ago an executive at a studio asked if they could do the movie without the ring (the whole crowd moaned from this comment). Then and there he thought the movie was never going to be made. It’s been misinterpreted as a comedy and a lot of people have been saying negative things but he says it’s going to be great. They didn’t show too much footage but they did show Reynolds using the ring early on (he obviously didn’t know its full power). We didn’t get to see the costume though.
Ryan Reynolds wearing Green Lantern's Ring

Ryan Reynolds wearing Green Lantern's Ring






Harry Potter PosterHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I


There wasn’t much of a panel for Harry Potter at this year’s Comic-Con which angered a lot of the die hard HP fans which camped out for hours. However, Tom Felton aka Draco Malfory did come out to Comic-Con for the first time ever and presented the never before seen trailer for the next film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I. If you don’t know, the last story of Harry Potter has been split up into two movies. There’s just so much going on that they felt they needed more like 4 hours instead of 2 (or they just wanted to make double the money for 3/4 the price). Part I comes out November 19, 2010 and Part II comes out next summer on July 15, 2011. Felton said that all of the cast and crew put everything into making this set of films because they knew it would be the last. There’s not much to say about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows except to expect the great quality we’ve all come to enjoy from the previous films. They knew they were making something special and hope that everyone likes it.
Tom Felton aka Draco Malfory

Tom Felton aka Draco Malfory from Harry Potter






Sucker Punch PosterSucker Punch


This was the movie panel I wanted to see most at Comic-Con and now this might be my most anticipated movie. Zach Snyder, director of Dawn of the Dead, Watchmen, and 300, has obviously been making film adaptations. This is the first time where he’s doing something original but to him, there’s not much different. The way he explained it is that once he wrote the story, it was just like all the other films he had made…there was the source material and now it was time to make it. He described the film as an amazing journey that he wanted to torture these girls with.


This film has EVERYTHING: dragons, mech warriors, samurais, ninjas, planes, big guns…and interpretive dancing. The premise of the story is still under wraps a bit but it looks like the main character, Baby Doll, is put into an insane asylum by her abusive father. She has to escape so she teams up with these other girls to do so. Snyder said that the story came from a transition concept from tv commercials. With commercials, you have to go through this process of condensing time. In his movie, you transition from the insane asylum to this other world in stressful moments. You can put a lot into these tiny moments of emotional outburst. He also wanted to create a satisfying ending from a twist within the story.


The almost all-girl cast in this film is amazing. It includes Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, Jena Malone, Abbie Cornish. All extremely beautiful and apparently deadly! Zach Snyder said that the girls did such an amazing job and if he had to cut all of the action scenes, the movie would still be good.
The Beautiful Ladies of Sucker Punch

The Beautiful Ladies of Sucker Punch


Here’s a list of the characters as described by the actresses:

  • Baby Doll (Emily Browning) – mother dies, abusive step father puts her into an insane asylum to be lobotomized and she meets these friends to escape.
  • Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens) – She shoots some of the biggest guns
  • Rocket (Jena Malone) – Sweet pea’s younger sister has to introduce Baby Doll and is the first on board with the idea of escaping. She rallies the troops.
  • Dr. ??? (Carla Gugino) – Polish psychologist/Dominatrix/Choreographer/Madam




YOU HAVE TO WATCH THIS TRAILER:

Comic-Con is the leading comic book convention in the world. Over the years, it has become a platform for movie studios to debut exclusive information and footage from their upcoming films.
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Comic-Con Scary Remakes: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark and Let Me In

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

Miramax Films: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
Producer and co-writer of Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, Guillermo del Toro, and director Troy Nixey came to present their re-imagining of the classic Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. Guillermo del Toro explained that the original was one of his favorite horror films back from the golden age of made for tv horror but could never find it or anyone who has even seen it. Watching Guillermo at the Comic-Con panel was hilarious…he curses like a sailor. He described Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark as a hard-hitting classical horror where the the ending hits you like a motherfucker. Right after he warned the crowd that if there are children in the audience, it’s too late, the word of the day is motherfucker, and he’s not elmo. Back around 1997 or 1998, Guillermo wrote the screenplay and waited to be able to do the movie right with a studio who won’t get in their way and a director who could do a great bringing it to the big screen. This is the feature directorial debut of Troy Nixey.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Producer and co-writer of Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, Guillermo del Toro, and director Troy Nixey


Guillermo said that they’re not fucking chickening out and the ending will be there! They didn’t add sexuality or profanity but still got an R for pervasive scariness. Guillermo said that this was like a seal of approval of how scary it is. They asked the MPAA if there was anything that could be done to get a PG-13 rating and the MPAA asked him why he would want to ruin a perfectly scary movie. Del Toro said the horror movies are like a pirate ship…the more Rs the better. The footage that they showed shocked the audience…the girl next to be was so scared that she had to hide under her sweater.


So what’s Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark about? It’s a present day story about an ancient ash pit, or chimney, exists in an ancient house. A girl moves in with her family and opens this pit. All the things from below that live in the ash pit want to taker her down with them…into to the darkness of this fairy world. This mixes fairy tales with horror like for example, the tooth fairy wanting your teeth. Guillermo explained that this movie is as serious as an attack of gonorrhea. I think Guillermo should write a comedy…if he writes it the way he talks, it would be hilarious!




Let Me In PosterOverture: Let Me In
This was probably the most serious film that was presented at Comic-Con. Let Me In is a remake of the classic, “Let The Right One In.” It’s a different look on the story about vampires written and directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield). The movie is centered around two young kids played by some of the best child actors in the business right now: Kick Ass’s Chloe Moretz and Kodi Smit-McPhee from The Road. From the footage shown, it looks amazing and may become another great addition to this story (there is a novel and movie already). Matt Reeves said that he wanted to take the elements of the first movie and combine it with more details from the novel. He set the story in the 80s and in very regular American-style development similar to Edward Scissorhands. The performances from all of the actors involved are sure to be breathtaking.
Let Me In

Cutest lil Vampire Ever: Chloe Moretz


Pretty much, this a story about the difficulties of a young vampire (played by Chloe Moretz). She moves to a new city where her caretaker begins to do his duty of finding her blood to survive. She moves in next door to a bullied boy (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee). She ends up being his only friend even after telling him that they can’t hang out since she isn’t what she seems. Instead of glamorizing the life of a vampire, the story really shows how hard it is to live in a modern society and the obstacles that they have to go through. Check out the red band trailer below:


Comic-Con is the leading comic book convention in the world. Over the years, it has become a platform for movie studios to debut exclusive information and footage from their upcoming films.
Visit Comic-Con’s Official Website

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Comic-Con Preview: SUPER

Saturday, July 24th, 2010

Little has been known about this film but now we finally have some ideas. James Gunn brought us the first trailer and clip ever shown to the public at Comic-Con. The one thing I already knew about this film was the great ensemble: Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, Nathan Fillion, and even Kevin Bacon! From the footage, it looked like a low-budget Kick-Ass to me. The script was written before Kick-Ass was ever made and the film makers themselves referred to it as a low-budget Watchmen. However…there’s a lot more to it.

SUPER Comic-Con Panel

Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, and Nathan Fillion


SUPER follows Rainn Wilson who has been picked on and walked over by others and looses his wife to another man. So, like any logical man would do, he turns himself into a super hero to win his wife back. Not so fast, don’t think he has good intentions…this movie is a dark, gritty, gruesome film which looks hilarious and twisted at the same time. It does look like it has low production but it also looks like it’s going to surprise us with a few shocking scenes. Rainn holds nothing back…he even hits a girl.
SUPER Comic-Con Panel
James Gunn said that this is the first movie which he feels he made for himself. More tidbits of information we gathered was that Ellen Page plays Rainn’s kid sidekick and has her way with Rainn at some point of the film. Liv Tyler plays a drug addict and Nathan Fillion plays The Holy Avenger who has churisma…a mix of charisma and the church.


I’m really looking forward to this movies because I love indie films…but I don’t think this is going to have a wide appeal especially after the lower results than what was expected from Kick-Ass. But hey, with James Gunn and this cast, it’s sure to be loved by the fans.
SUPER Comic-Con Panel

James Gunn, Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, Nathan Fillion, and Michael Rooker

Comic-Con is the leading comic book convention in the world. Over the years, it has become a platform for movie studios to debut exclusive information and footage from their upcoming films.
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Comic-Con Preview: Skyline

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

Skyline looks amazing! We got to see the first ever look of the trailer for the film. They only finished filming 9 weeks ago and the visual effects were started 3 weeks ago but they wanted to make sure they had something to show us at Comic-Con. This is a completely independent film that had no studio help and was literally shot in one of the director’s houses. The idea started around the time that Paranormal Activity was released and the Strause brothers (who direct the film) and their two creative partners discussed how hard it was to make a film these days so they decided if the guy who did Paranormal Activity could do it, so could they!

Skyline Comic-Con Panel

Directors and Brothers: Greg and Colin Strause


In less than 11 months, they were done. They had a crew of only about 120 people and only 5 people on set made decisions. If you know about film making, especially for big budget films, that is a huge difference an the cast and crew thought it was great. They tried to remove the horrific inefficiencies of film making and it looks like they succeeded. The trailer that they showed was massive and looked really entertaining. There’s over 800 shots in this film so don’t be fooled by it being an independent film, it sure doesn’t look like it had a small budget.
Skyline Comic-Con Panel

The Full Skyline Panel


Basically, this is an alien invasion on a global scale. You know how everybody looks at a car accident when they drive by? Well that’s the weakness the aliens in this movie use against humankind. Don’t look up or you’ll be sucked into one of their ships! They don’t use bullets or lasers, they just prey on all the humans while they’re distracted by the spectacle.
Skyline Comic-Con Panel

Side shot of the Skyline panel


Donald Faison, one of the stars of the movie said that it was difficult to shoot and and of the world movie but be quiet to not wake the neighbors. Again, they literally shot most of the film in Greg Strause’ house. Luckily the unit below him was under construction, so that was a lifesaver. It’s going to be interested to see what a group or regular people do to stay alive and not get abducted by aliens. Skyline comes out November 12th of this year so look out for it!

Comic-Con is the leading comic book convention in the world. Over the years, it has become a platform for movie studios to debut exclusive information and footage from their upcoming films.
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Summit’s Drive Angry 3D

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

From the director who brought us My Bloody Valentine 3D, Patrick Lussier, comes Drive Angry 3D. He said that the difference between Bloody Valentine was that it was a suspense and he wanted to do an action film in 3D. Drive Angry is pure action. He’s one of the few directors who has already completed a 3D movie (real 3D, not conversion) so you’re going to see some of the best effects and storytelling through the new dimension.

Drive Angry 3D Comic-Con Panel

Patrick Lussier, Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, and William Fichtner


Nicolas Cage stars in the film along with Amber Heard and William Fichtner. Nic said that there’s no question that he prefers characters who raise more questions than answers. This role falls into those lines since it’s a mysterious character from Hell with some supernatural powers. His daughter was killed and they took her child so all he has left is this baby girl. That’s his drive but other than that you don’t know what’s behind him…he doesn’t do drugs but indulges in sugar every now and then.


On the director, Nic said that Patrick is a purist. This is the first time that he (Nicolas Cage) could play with 3D and he wanted to see what moves he could do and how he could change the format. With Patrick, he felt like he was in good hands and had a lot of conversations with him on the subject. There’s no secret that Nicolas Cage likes to drive and likes to drive fast so this was a great role for him. He had the same stunt guy as he did for Gone in 60 Seconds so he got to collaborate with him again.
Drive Angry 3D Comic-Con Panel

Nicolas Cage and Amber Heard


Drive Angry 3D is an anti-hero 70s action film in 3D. They started writing the film around groundhogs day and that’s where the title comes from…you know Bill Murray’s line where he says, “don’t drive angry.” That’s apparently for the opening scene which they thought of first and built the rest of the movie from that. Amber Heard said that the movie is “fast cars, big guns, and fist fights” which is what attracted her to the film but then noted, “but maybe that’s the Texas in me.” William wasn’t in muscle cars as much as his co-stars but he kept mentioning a hydrogen tanker so I’m really curios to see those scenes now. He made it a point to say that this film is wild and fast.


This film comes out February 11, 2011 which means it’s opening for Valentine’s Day! This is obviously for the ladies because the bumper sticker on the back of Nicolas Cage’s car read: “I Brake 4 Pussy.”

Comic-Con is the leading comic book convention in the world. Over the years, it has become a platform for movie studios to debut exclusive information and footage from their upcoming films.
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Summer Movie Preview: June Edition

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

It’s summertime which means it’s time for the big summer movie blockbusters! The movie season already began with movies like Iron Man 2, Robin Hood, Shrek Forever After, and Sex and the City 2. A couple of those movies did great while others fell victim to terrible box office numbers but never fear, it’s only the beginning. This is the first time we’re doing a monthly preview roundup so let us know what you think and we’ll see if we continue to do them. Here we go!



Week 1: Get Him to the Greek, Killers, Marmaduke, Splice


This is truly a weekend offering a movie for everyone. Get Him to the Greek is your typical comedy of this generation from Judd Apatow. Starring Russel Brand, and Jonah Hill, it follows a record company intern trying to bring a washed up rockstar who makes his own rules from London to California for an anniversary concert that’s supposed to restart his career. (Check out our Get Him to the Greek review) Killers is a romantic comedy staring eye candy for both the guys and girls, Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl about a super spy who doesn’t let his wife know he’s a super spy…until now. Marmaduke is a film for the kids about the beloved comic book dog voiced by Owen Wilson. And Splice is a movie like no other for moviegoers looking for something different and edgy. It’s about two rockstar geneticists who have spliced together a new creation which they end up raising as their own until it becomes it’s own…(Check out our Splice review with some Q&A with the director)


My pick of the week: Splice.




Week 2: The A-Team, The Karate Kid


Week 2 is your 80s remake weekend. The Karate Kid replaces Pat Morita with Jackie Chan and casts Will Smith’s son, Jaden Smith, as the Karate Kid. Unlike the original, this movie is actually based in China where it throws an American kid into a crowd he’s unfamiliar with. They were almost going to release this movie as “Kung Fu Kid” but decided to stick with the original title…it’s definitely targeted for younger kids this time around but should still come with the same comedic edge. The A-Team is your a-typical action remake. All the regular characters are back for a stretched out episode of the classic tv series with an updated modern twist. It’s a comedic action film where you can expect huge explosions, outrageous situations, and a clever script. I just want to hear the theme song…


My pick for Week 2: The A-Team.




Week 3: Jonah Hex, Toy Story 3


Here are a couple of fantasy movies. Toy Story 3 is the much anticipated continuation of the beloved Toy Story series which keeps impressing audiences of every generation. There hasn’t been a Toy Story movie in a decade (the original was released in 1995 and the sequel was in 1999) so the real target market has never had a new Toy Story movie to go to even though we all know that almost every age group can relate and enjoy these films. The way the structure the movies and write the scripts is incredible the way it reaches every kid, young and old from all sorts of backgrounds. You can expect new characters alongside with the classic toys we grew up with. Jonah Hex is for a much older crowd and combines modern technology with the wild wild west genre. I never quite understood why people kept combining westerns with updated weaponry, but here we go again. Jonah Hex is about a bounty hunter with warrants getting an offer to clear his name by stopping a terrorist. Go at your own risk.


My easy pick of the week: Toy Story 3




Week 4: Grown Ups, Knight and Day


Grown Ups has an all-star cast of comedians: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade. It’s about five friends who reunite years after their childhood when their basketball coach passes away. Eventhough they’ve grown older…they haven’t really grown up…Knight and Day is another action comedy promising huge explosions, daring stunts, and witty dialogue. Starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, this is a super spy movie on overdrive where the super spy (Tom Cruise) seems to be perfect in every situation and the damsel in distress (Cameron Diaz) seems to mess up everything with ease.


My pick for this week: Did you see Splice or Toy Story 3 already?




Week 4 1/2: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse


I haven’t even seen the second twilight and they’re already releasing the third. After the first, I just didn’t want to continue…to be honest. But it’s not about me, it’s about the army of teenage girls who are obsessed with vampires and warewolves named Jacob and Edward. Which team are you on? It doesn’t matter, because Team Twilight wins every time. They’re going to keep churning out these movies as fast as they can to appease their audience and make as much money as they can before the fad is over. They’re even releasing this movie on a Wednesday to get that extra couple days of movie income to boost their first weekend numbers.


I don’t have to pick this movie, thousands of teenage girls and their mothers already have.




Limited Notables: Holy Rollers, Solitary Man, Cyrus


It’s hard to really put these limited releases in a monthly roundup because they open up in different cities at different times. Either way, they should be easiest to find during this month. I’m a huge fan of smaller films and love to expose people to them who wouldn’t even know about them. Holy Rollers is inspired by true events about Hasidic Jews who were international ecstasy traffickers. Solitary Man is the aftermath of a mid-life crisis starring Michael Douglas. It’s a comedic look at the result of a lot of bad decisions. Cyrus is a modern comedy about an older divorced man (John C. Reilly) who meets an amazing women (Marisa Tomei) who even more amazingly is interested in him. There’s one problem though: her twenty-one-year-old son (Jonah Hill) who has a freakishly close relationship with his mom. You can expect these reviews later on in the month.


My Limited Pick: All of them, but if I had to pick one: Solitary Man.




And there you have it, June in a nutshell. This month is dominated with comedies, primarily action comedies, especially action comedies with super spies. Splice is probably the only unique film of the month and everything else is just more of the same. To be honest, I’m not really looking forward to any of these movies which works out because I’ll be out most of the month in South Africa for the World Cup :) . July, on the other hand, looks to be my favorite movie month of the year with The Last Airbender, Inception, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and the limited film: The Kids Are Alright (which I have already seen, and it’s great!). I can’t wait to write that roundup in a few weeks. Look out for it!

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