Posts Tagged ‘Olivia Wilde’

REVIEW: In Time

Friday, October 28th, 2011

In TimeIn Time explains itself right away: People have been genetically engineered to age until they’re 25 years old and then they’re only given one more year to live. You must earn, borrow or steal time after that. Time is the new currency. Everything is bought, traded, gifted through time. The movie does a splendid job showing how the system works early on allowing the audience to understand the new sci-fi world and move right into the story. It also quickly gets you to understand why everybody in the movie has such great bodies. Everyone stops aging at 25 so your mother, sister and daughter all look the same age. You can’t truly know some body’s age unless you ask them – and then it’s just an anniversary of their 25th birthday. In Time also starts off right away with Justin Timberlake’s shirt off…so there’s that too.


I really liked the movie. The premise is superb and the movie is cute. After you get through the intriguing idea of everybody in the world having a 25 year old’s body and the flipped notion of living for and against time rather than money, you can assimilate to this very basic and easy to follow story. It didn’t get too scientific or sci-fish so it could keep the mainstream audience’s attention. The movie pretty much turned into a futuristic Bonnie & Cylde with a lot of running…out of time. If you hate puns, you’re going to hate the first 20 minutes or so of this movie – I cringed every time they said the word time. They did do it well somethings though; inventing new meanings for words such as time zone, timekeeper and minute men.

In Time

In Time is all about...time (who woulda guessed that?)


There’s a love story, there’s action, different groups chasing our main character, plenty of social commentary on the whole 99%/1% disproportion of wealth thing and bad ass looking retro-futuristic muscle cars. In Time bills itself as a crime movie but while there are crimes, nobody really cares about them. They’re not really investigating anything, just chasing Justin Timberlake around a lot. Instead, they build up this whole topple the system / bigger than oneself notion that doesn’t unfold like you’d think. I thought writer/director Andrew Niccol was going to spell out something intellectual like in his previous films such as Gattaca, The Truman Show or Lord of War but instead he kept it very shallow.
In Time

Run.


Justin Timberlake is Will Salas, a young man who lives with his mother Rachel (Olivia Wilde) in the ghetto. He’s always lived life on the run literally living day by day until he’s gifted with over a century of time to live by a wealth man named Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer). But nobody just gives a century away so he’s accused of stealing it and chased by Timekeeper Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy). He knows he can’t survive in the ghetto with all those years so he treats himself with a visit to New Greenwich where he meets the stunning and cute Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried), daughter of time tycoon Philippe Weis (Vincent Kartheiser). Sounds cool, right? It is. But the movie drags on a bit and doesn’t quite get to that epic state which you might expect. Niccol could have taken this in a lot of directions but he kept it in line with a typical romance thriller. Obviously Timberlake and Seyfried become attached in a whole stockholm syndrome but I actually liked that. Seyfried’s character is ridiculously cute saying girly things while acting bad ass.
In Time

Well hello there Sylvia


This is a sci-fi movie that both geeks and girls can enjoy…and geek girls and guys. It has just enough of the science to get the brain thinking and the eye candy to get the other things thinking. The style of the movie is a mix of The Matrix, Tron and Grease. Yes, Grease…they used the L.A. River a lot as do so many films shot around Hollywood. The actions scenes were gripping especially the cheesy running towards each other scenes which I usually hate. The car chases were surprisingly good, it looks like JT knows how to handle a stick but it went from that to the worst CG car crash I’ve ever seen. To make up for it, JT has one of the most bad ass scenes of the year. My audience clapped right afterwards…it was awesome. I had my doubts going into In Time but I was delightfully pleased, Andrew Niccol can’t do wrong in my book.
In Time

The L.A. River must have a movie filming in it every day of the year


In Time

Swag.

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Comic-Con 2011 Review: Cowboys & Aliens

Monday, July 25th, 2011

Cowboys & Aliens is a strong western with sci-fi thrown in the appropriate spots. It has all the great elements of each genre mashed up into an entertaining movie with action, adventure and lots of laughs. It’s fun and gripping but not as amazing as one would hope…it’s good, not great. The story is pretty straight forward and you get what you would expect from a title of Cowboys & Aliens…it’s the simple folk of a small western town up against technologically advanced aliens. Don’t worry, there is more to that premise later on in the story with some awesome twists but I won’t spoil it for you. All you need to know is: No, it doesn’t suck and Yes, you should go see it if you’re the least interested in what it has to offer.


Daniel Craig is a bad ass right from the very beginning. The movie starts off as a true western coming across a man stranded in the wilderness alone. Three men on horses discover him and the action explodes right away with a scene that gets cheers from the audience. Jon Favreau, director of Cowboys & Aliens, does the smart move of first capturing the interest of western fans with the slow mysterious beginning and then keeping the action fans with a fast-paced beat em up scene that allows the audience to think, “ok, maybe this will be good!” Craig’s character doesn’t know who he is or what’s going on…he just discovers there’s a weird iron gadget on his wrist and quickly learns it can do some startling things. Throughout the movie, he has flashbacks slowly remembering what has happened to him and what he must do.

Cowboys & Aliens

shit.


We then join the rest of this spectacular cast in a classic one road western town. It would be a ghost town if it wasn’t for the cattle of our other big star, Harrison Ford. Ford plays a rugged cowboy who demands respect. It’s a treat to see him in another movie that can actually utilize his talent but I wish he had more screen time and paramount scenes. Other than a few good lines, he didn’t have a big enough screen presence. Joining these two are Paul Dano playing Ford’s son, Sam Rockwell who is the towns Doc and barkeep, Noah Ringer who is our kid star and Olivia Wilde, a hot dame in a dress with a gun holster. For me, Paul Dano is the standout of the supporting cast. Hopefully this role will launch him into stardom as he’s done his fair share of great smaller indie flicks.
Cowboys & Aliens

Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig and Olivia Wilde...on horses


You may say the story is cliche and/or exploiting fans from each genre but it just takes the elements people love from westerns and sci-fis and puts them together. There are actually a lot of similarities in each of the genre’s arcs so nothing seemed out of place. There’s a clear purpose, drive and motivation of the group of cowboys that the movie follows and explains why there are aliens terrorizing these simple people. The juxtaposition is great and the writers played with the concept throughout the film. There’s one early scene where you see the cowboy’s lights via flames on torches and then the alien’s lights via their spaceships. How can cowboys with guns and horses battle aliens with superior technology? Don’t worry, you’ll see.
Cowboys & Aliens

Cowboys & Aliens. Nuff Said.


This isn’t another wait until the last 5 minutes to see the alien type film. It’s not long after the movie starts that you see the first alien act and not much longer after that until you see the actual alien. And these aliens look great! They’re not your common creatures and they bring something new to the table. The movie doesn’t go too in depth to their background or side of the story, but it gives you enough to understand what they’re doing there and what they want. There are some great surprises to keep you engaged in the story as the cowboys uncover the mysteries of what’s happening. Again, Cowboys & Aliens is a straightforward western with sci-fi elements thrown in the right spots. It’s not a game changer and won’t blow your mind, but for the typical moviegoer and sci-fi fan, it’s a fun action-packed western that you won’t fall asleep to and for the western lover, it’s a sci-fi flick you can follow and won’t roll your eyes at! It’s the best of both worlds filed with remarkable talent and a smart script.

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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REVIEW: The Change-Up

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

Note: The screening I saw was a test screening which means that it was not the final version. They may change some scenes but I hope they don’t change too much because it was fucking hilarious!


Freaky Friday. Like Father Like Son. Vice Versa. The story has been told countless times but it’s a classic ridiculous idea: two people switch lives until they realize they miss their own life from before. This time Jason Bateman, a hard-working dad, switches with Ryan Reynolds, a lazy douchebag. Bateman is Dave, a guy who had nothing growing up so he worked his way into a good college to get into a good law school to get into a good law firm but along the way, pissed away his 20s. Reynolds is Mitch, a guy who never finishes anything and lives his life as a douche who does whatever he wants with no responsibilities. They’ve known each other since the 3rd grade and envy each other’s lives…or so they say. Bateman and Reynolds are both genuinely funny and a great duo to play these roles…there’s definitely some bromance going on there.


While most R-Rated comedies this summer have been pretty tame, The Change-Up really does earn its rating with lots of lewd language and debauchery. It has some of the most disturbing sex scenes since A Serbian Film but you can’t help but watch and laugh. Trust me, The Hangover Part II was a Saturday morning cartoon compared to this one. You’re sure to cover your eyes at least once or twice but then peek through your fingers to see what’s going on! While Bad Teacher and Horrible Bosses were pretty safe with their comedy, The Change-Up goes all out with misbehaving babies, misbehaving around babies, anti-semiticm, racial jokes and some other things you won’t expect. (We’ll see what actually makes it in the final cut). None of it was in bad taste and almost everything got a great laugh but some lines just caught you by surprise and made you say “ooooooooh, yeah, they went there.”

The Change-Up

Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds in The Change-Up


Obviously the concept is unoriginal and you pretty much already know the whole story but the script is great and almost every character is hilarious. The Change-Up is actually incredibly funny and keeps your attention the entire time. I was laughing with the rest of the audience from beginning to end. Reynolds’s lines are by far the best and most outrageous. You’re going to miss some of the dialogue because you’re too busy laughing from the last joke. You get gems like, “I want to strap you to my face and say the alphabet” and the “Cancer List”. The beautiful and funny Leslie Mann plays Dave’s wife Jamie and yes, you see her boobs. Olivia Wilde plays Dave’s incredibly hot legal assistant Sabrina and yes, you see her boobs too! However, the movie doesn’t play the gratuitous nudity card…everything fits in with the story.


The movie did run a little long at about two hours so I’m sure they’re looking for scenes to cut but I wouldn’t want the film to be shortened by more than fifteen minutes because most of the scenes were just too funny. Every time the movie got a bit serious and you think the story is going to get boring as plot points play out, they throw a curve ball (or change-up) and make you start laughing uncontrollably again. This will be an awesome date movie for couples, an ok movie for Ryan Reynolds fans (he’s not as cut as in Green Lantern) and a sensational movie for Olivia Wilde fans – she’s every man’s dream in this one: a perfect girl.



I honestly can’t wait to watch the final version of this film when it comes out August 5th. The movie is exactly about what you think but it’s nothing of what you expect. It’s a combination of everything you wished the other R-Rated comedies of this summer had. It’s outrageous, but not over the top…daring, but not too mean and it has a story anyone can relate to.



There are plenty of upcoming advance screenings and you can find them here!

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Review: TRON: Legacy

Wednesday, December 15th, 2010

I’m sad to announce that Tron: Legacy is almost nothing like its predecessor. While Tron was before its time, had a non-stop complete story, and just plain cool, Tron: Legacy is complacent, has no real story, and just plain boring. The creators of the long anticipated sequel had great source material to derive something futuristic from with a blank canvas in front of them but instead made a very modern interpretation of a crappy movie. I don’t even know where to begin, there was so much fail.


The script was the worse. There really was no story…you’ll leave the theater thinking “what just happened?” Garrett Hedlund plays Sam Flynn, Kevin Flynn’s son, who finds his way to The Grid where his father has been stuck for 20 years. He has a dog, no girlfriend, which is ok because his father has Olivia Wilde waiting for him. With no story comes terrible dialogue…if you can even call it that. Most of the time one character says something that I guess was intended to be a one-liner and then…nothing. The only real acting was done by Jeff Bridges reprising his role as The Dude (from The Big Lebowski) and Michael Sheen as a weird flamboyant Willy Wonka.

TRON: Legacy

Sam Flynn with the flamboyant Zuse


Sure, the movie looked pretty but it was nothing out of this world (even though The Grid is…out of this world). Maybe I’m spoiled by current technology and past movies, but Tron: Legacy just didn’t do it for me. I didn’t feel immersed in the 3D like I have in other films, I wasn’t wowed by the CG or visual effects, and I’m not yearning for more which basically means I had enough. There were a couple really cool scenes that set themselves apart from the rest of the movie but they were few and far between.
TRON: Legacy

Pretty digital fireworks


I’ve been listening to the soundtrack on loop and am actually listening to it right now while writing this review…it’s really great to work to. Produced by the great French electro duo Daft Punk, it mixes their electronic style with a classic orchestra score. I think it’s great but it also added to the slow pace and dull moments of the film. Usually, you’re not suppose to notice the score much as it compliments the movie but trust me, you’ll notice it this time. I kept picturing the orchestra and string instruments instead of watching what was on screen.
TRON: Legacy

Daft Punk makes a cameo in TRON: Legacy...they play music


For a big chunk of the movie, I actually thought I was watching a movie about people waiting for a Tron sequel…they were just wandering around not doing anything. It was sad to see so much potential go to waste. As a tech guy, Tron was funny in the way it used computer lingo in ridiculous ways. With Tron: Legacy, I’m not even sure the writers knew what they were referring to. They made up “isometric algorithms” and Jeff Bridges actually says “biodigital jazz, man” proving that he was actually just playing The Dude again.
TRON: Legacy

Jeff Bridges as The Dude in TRON: Legacy...you're messing with my zen thing man


Will Tron: Legacy have the cult following that Tron has? I doubt it. Will it expose a younger generation to computers and the future of technology? Not as much as The Social Network did. Will it get people to watch the original Tron? I hoped so, but I think they’d just pass on it now…I wanted to love Tron: Legacy but it just doesn’t have any substance even though Disney can probably turn it into a cartoon series, comic book, video games, what have you. They shoved a lot of new side stories?, plot holes, prequel, and sequel possibilities in there…what they forgot was a story.

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REVIEW: The Next Three Days

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

The Next Three DaysThe Next Three Days is such an awkward movie but if you can sit through the first hour, the ending just might be worth it. The movie follows John Brennan (Russell Crowe), a community college teacher, as he rescues his innocent wife (Elizabeth Banks) from jail. He turns from a timid loving father to a conniving MacGyver via YouTube in just three days! That’s a lie, it takes about three years and that is why most of the movie is a drag. (This is Paul Haggis’ remake of a French film, “Anything for Her” from 2008 which I have not seen)


This movie will confuse some people right from the beginning because it doesn’t start with the movie title, “The Next Three Days.” Instead, it starts with “The Last 3 Years” and it takes about that long to get the story going. We join John Brennan and his wife, Laura, having a double dinner date with John’s brother Mick (Michael Buie) and big-boobed wife (Moran Atias). Laura just had a bad day ending with a fight with her boss. The next morning, Laura’s boss is dead and she is arrested for murder in front of her husband and traumatized son.

The Next Three Days

Laura (Elizabeth Banks) being arrested in front of her husband and traumatized son


John does everything in his powers to prove his wife’s innocence in court but the evidence is stacked up against her. Like Don Quixote, the book John is teaching in class, he is irrational with reality and can’t accept that his wife will live her life in prison away from their son. He begins researching on how to escape jails which leads him to a brief cameo montage with Liam Neeson. (Sadly, he does no ass-kicking like in Taken). Liam tells John that escaping jail is the easy part, it’s figuring out how to stay free that’s hard. Hence, “The Next Three Days” but this movie doesn’t move that fast, now it’s “The Last 3 Months.”
The Next Three Days

Olivia Wilde and Russell Crowe in The Next Three Days


Over the next three months, John meticulously plans his wife’s getaway while taking care of their son and having play dates with Olivia Wilde (I had to throw her in here because she’s beautiful but doesn’t really have a role in this film). As per Liam Neeson’s advice, he keeps track of anything and everything going on in the jail preparing for that one opening to set his plan in motion. Throughout his escapades, he goes into the underworld of Pittsburgh where he runs into the RZA, Kevin Corrigan, and a deaf biker.
The Next Three Days

The RZA continues to get his foot into Hollywood's front door


The Next Three Days begins extremely slow and sad to say doesn’t really pick up that much. The movie is pretty long (over 2 hours), filmed in a dull tone, and doesn’t have much action…it’s more of a thinker. You can expect a lot of piano notes and string instruments to set the curious mood. However, it was satisfying to see Russell Crowe execute his plan in the end. It gets very tense at moments and you never really know what’s going to happen next or what he had planned for. Is he two steps ahead of the police or are they going to catch up? Did he anticipate everything like Liam Neeson warned or does he want his wife’s freedom too much that he’s going to f- it up? As I said in the intro, if you can sit through this movie, you’ll be somewhat satisfied by the end.
The Next Three Days

Don't draw attention to yourself, just run through the streets!


Let’s sum it up…3 years turns into 3 months and then 3 days. Brief cameos from Liam Neeson, the RZA, Kevin Corrigan, and Olivia Wilde. Stuff happens and then more stuff happens and then the credits roll. All in all, it’s better than a lot of the bad films this year but still not worth a seat in the theater, I’d wait for Netflix. (or maybe just go rent the French version now..it’s shorter!)

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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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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.
Visit Comic-Con’s Official Website

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From the TRON: LEGACY Press Conference

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

Comic-Tron Panel

Full Comic-Tron Panel

In attendance: Jeff Bridges (“Kevin Flynn”), Garrett Hedlund (“Sam Flynn”), Olivia Wilde (“Quorra”), Michael Sheen (“Castor”), Bruce Boxleitner (“Alan Bradley”), Joe Kosinski (Director), Sean Bailey (Producer), Jeff Silver (Producer), Justin Springer (Producer), Steven Lisberger (producer and original director of TRON), Adam Horowitz (Writer), Eddy Kitsis (Writer), Eric Barba (Digital Domain)


“Comic-Tron” Press Conference


Olivia Wilde wasn’t even born when the original film came out but she knew about it through the video game and phenomena. Garret Hedlund who pays Sam Flynn didn’t even see the film until about 2003 when a friend overseas was amazed he had never seen it and made him watch.

The filmmakers pointed out that their movie is a father/son story which is why they concentrated on Flynn and didn’t bring back some of the other characters from the original.

Jeff Bridges heard about a Tron sequel for quite a while but gave up at it at first. He finally got a copy of the script that Disney had but Disney wasn’t satisfied with the script so they waited. Jeff is glad they did because the final product now is so much better. Then they got Joe to be at the helm of this film which he thinks was a great decision because he comes from an architect background and knew about all of the fancy technologies that they were going to use. This is a true 3D film that was completely filmed with two cameras and the effects have been finished for both eyes.
The Stars

Michael Sheen, Olivia Wilde, Garret Hedlund, and Jeff Bridges


The difference between the first film and this film is that in the first film all they had to do was dream. This was before Virtual and Internet were common day vocabulary. It sounds like now, they are just matching the technology that is already out there…they’re not creating a new world…they making it more realistic.


There has been no date set for the blu-ray of the original Tron but they feel like they’re going to do something special. For the Tron: Legacy, they want to do the dvd and blu-ray in 3D so they’re hoping for greater penetration of 3D tvs in homes.


Jeff loves that people are so excited to see Tron again. Comic-Con wasn’t around during the first film but now it’s great to see all the fans get hyped up for the movie. Two years ago showing the effects test to Comic-Con was one of the reasons why the film got off the ground in the first place. Last year, when they showed the trailer, they got a huge response.


Daft PunkFor the Tron virals on the internet, the crew went back to the original movie and made a timeline from then til now and tried to figure out how that would play out. Expect a lot more ads and virals coming your way up until the release of the movie in December.


Joe Kosinkski met up with Daft Punk really early in the process even before the effects test. They talked about how passionate they were towards Tron and got started on the music very early. They started making music over 2 years ago before they even started filming. They’re in the studio right now, as we speak, putting the finishing touches on the score. Olivia Wilde said that to get the feel of a scene, they would listen to a Daft track to get into the mood and she said that really helped.

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 2010 Preview!

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

advancescreenings.com is heading to San Diego for the 2010 Comic-Con! The movie schedule this year looks intense so we should have tons of stories and previews for you in the next couple of weeks. You can find the full Comic-Con schedule here. Let us know if there’s something you want us to cover in particular on Facebook or comment below! Here’s a list of panels we plan on attending:




Thursday
11:15-12:45 Walt Disney Pictures: TRON: Legacy— Returning for an unprecedented third year to the fans and convention that started it all, Walt Disney Pictures is pleased to present a special insider look at the upcoming TRON: Legacy. Panelists include filmmakers and talent from the film: director Joe Kosinski, producers Sean Bailey and Steven Lisberger, and cast members Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Michael Sheen, and Bruce Boxleitner. The discussion, moderated by Patton Oswalt, is set to include exclusive glimpses of the film, as well as a Q&A involving all panel participants, along with special surprise guests.


1:00-2:00 Sony Pictures Entertainment: Battle: Los Angeles and Salt— Two great new films from Sony Pictures Entertainment are showcased in this Hall H presentation!

Battle: Los Angeles — When unknown forces suddenly and mercilessly attack the City of Angels out of nowhere, it’s up to a local Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and a new platoon of unseasoned soldiers to meet the threat. As the invasion hits the streets of LA, these Marines become our first and last line of defense in an intense battle against an enemy unlike any they’ve ever encountered before. Appearing in person are Michelle Rodriguez, Aaron Eckhart, Neal Moritz, and director Jonathan Liebesman.


SaltSalt — Opening in theaters everywhere tomorrow, Columbia Pictures brings an exclusive and surprising look at Salt to Comic-Con today, featuring some very special guests. As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture, but her efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: “Who is Salt?”



2:15-3:15 Summit Entertainment: RED— Summit Entertainment presents a sneak peek of exclusive footage from RED. They used to be the CIA’s top agents — but the secrets they know just made them the Agency’s top targets. Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and Helen Mirren star in RED, an explosive action-comedy based on the cult DC Comics graphic novel by Warren Ellis. Join him, director Robert Schwentke, and the film’s stars as they share footage from the film and debut the final trailer before it’s ever in theaters.


The Expendables4:45-5:45 Lionsgate: The Expendables— Prepare to have your ass kicked by The Expendables, the biggest action movie this summer! Lionsgate presents exclusive scenes and the inside scoop on every punch, kick, and bloodied lip from the most iconic cast of heroes and villains ever assembled, including the director, writer, and star Sylvester Stallone (Rambo), along with Dolph Lundgren (Universal Soldier), Steve Austin (The Condemned), Randy Couture (Scorpion King: Rise of the Warrior), and Terry Crews (Gamer).


Scott Pilgrim vs. the World6:00-7:00 Universal: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World— Genre-bending filmmaker Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz), graphic novel author Bryan Lee O’Malley, and the cast of Universal Pictures’ Scott Pilgrim vs. the World provide a sneak peek of summer 2010′s epic of epic epicness. Joining Wright will be our hero, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera of Superbad); Scott’s two current girlfriends, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead of The Thing) and Knives Chau (Ellen Wong of Unnatural History); his band, SEX BOB-OMB: Kim Pine (Alison Pill of Milk) and Stephen Stills (Mark Webber of Broken Flowers); SEX BOB-OMB super-fan Young Neil (Johnny Simmons of Jennifer’s Body); Scott’s awesome roommate, Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin of Igby Goes Down); and four of Ramona’s seven evil exes: Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha of Fair Game), Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh of Superman Returns), Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman of Funny People) and Roxy Richter (Mae Whitman of Parenthood); plus Scott’s younger sister, Stacey Pilgrim (Anna Kendrick of Up in the Air), and the obnoxious Julie Powers (Aubrey Plaza of Parks and Recreation). Q&A to follow.




Friday
11:15-11:45 Summit Entertainment: Drive Angry 3D— A vengeful father hunts down the people who brutally killed his daughter and kidnapped her baby in the newest film shot in 3D from the writer and director of My Bloody Valentine 3D, starring Nicolas Cage, William Fichtner, Billy Burke, and Amber Heard. Join the cast and filmmakers as they showcase never-before-seen footage of this high-octane, blood-spattered road trip through hell!


12:00-1:00 Skyline— Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, and Rogue Pictures present an exclusive look at the sci-fi thriller Skyline, directed and produced by the Brothers Strause (Alien vs. Predator: Requiem), whose company Hydraulx has provided visual effects for Avatar, Iron Man 2, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and 300. In Skyline, strange lights descend on the city of Los Angeles, drawing people outside like moths to a flame, where an extraterrestrial force proceeds to swallow the entire human population off the face of the earth. Colin and Greg Strause unveil an exclusive Comic-Con trailer and scenes from Skyline, along with stars Donald Faison (Scrubs), Eric Balfour (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 24), David Zayas (The Expendables, Dexter), Scottie Thompson (Star Trek), and Brittany Daniel (Club Dread). HitFix’s Drew McWeeny moderates.


1:00-2:00 Super— Writer/director James Gunn (Slither), stars Rainn Wilson (The Office), Liv Tyler (Lord of the Rings), Nathan Fillion (Firefly), and Michael Rooker (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer), and producers Ted Hope (Adventureland) and Miranda Bailey (The Squid and the Whale) reveal footage from their latest feature production Super, including the first peek at Rainn and Ellen Page’s costume design. Super is a hyper-real and shockingly funny look at the extremely violent antics of a down-on-his-luck man as he attempts to win his wife back from a glamorous drug dealer by teaming up with a psychopathic teen to become costumed crimefighters.


2:15-3:45 Miramax Films: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark— Producer/co-writer Guillermo del Toro and director Troy Nixey present a first look at their new film Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, a hair-raising, spine-chilling tale of horror about a little girl (Bailee Madison) who is sent to live with her father (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend (Katie Holmes) in the old mansion they are renovating, only to unwittingly unleash malevolent creatures bent on destroying all of them.


4:00-6:00 Sony Pictures Entertainment: The Other Guys, The Green Hornet, and Priest— Two more sneak peeks at upcoming films from Sony Pictures Entertainment!

The Other GuysThe Other Guys–NYPD Detectives Christopher Danson and P.K. Highsmith (Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson) are the baddest and most beloved cops in New York City. Two desks over and one back, sit Detectives Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg). You’ve seen them in the background of photos of Danson and Highsmith, out of focus and eyes closed. They’re not heroes — they’re “the Other Guys.” But every cop has his day and soon Gamble and Hoitz stumble into a seemingly innocuous case no other detective wants to touch that could turn into New York City’s biggest crime. It’s the opportunity of their lives, but do these guys have the right stuff? Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, and co-writer/director Adam McKay will be appearing in person.


The Green Hornet–Director Michel Gondry, who makes movies with a special, personal signature, is taking on The Green Hornet — and he’s doing it in 3D. Comic-Con audiences, prepare yourselves. In The Green Hornet, Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is the son of L.A.’s most prominent and respected media magnate and perfectly happy to maintain a directionless existence on the party scene — until his father (Tom Wilkinson) mysteriously dies, leaving Britt his vast media empire. Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father’s more industrious and inventive employees, Kato (Jay Chou), they see their chance to do something meaningful for the first time in their lives: fight crime. To get close to the criminals, they come up with the perfect cover: they’ll pose as criminals themselves. Protecting the law by breaking it, Britt becomes the vigilante The Green Hornet as he and Kato hit the streets. Confirmed to appear in person to unveil this early look at The Green Hornet in 3D are the Hornet himself, Seth Rogen, director Michel Gondry, writer Evan Goldberg, producer Neal Moritz, and actor Christoph Waltz.


Priest (3D) — A western-infused post-apocalyptic thriller, set in an alternate world — one ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. The story revolves around a legendary Warrior Priest (Paul Bettany) from the last Vampire War who now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities. When his niece (Lily Collins) is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on an obsessive quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece’s boyfriend (Cam Gigandet), a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess (Maggie Q) who possesses otherworldly fighting skills. Stars Paul Bettany, Karl Urban, Maggie Q, Cam Gigandet, Stephen Moyer, and director Scott Stewart will be onstage to unveil the first 3D look at Priest.





Saturday
11:45-1:15 Warner Bros.: Green Lantern, Sucker Punch, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows— Warner Bros. showcases three eagerly awaited upcoming new films in this Hall H presentation!

Green Lantern– Get a first look at the upcoming sci-fi action adventure Green Lantern, directed by Martin Campbell. Green Lantern is an epic adventure that crosses galaxies to bring to life the legendary Silver Age superhero Hal Jordan, who is chosen by the ring itself to become the first human member of the Green Lantern Corps and take on the vast and powerful Parallax as it threatens to destroy the world. The film stars Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, Blake Lively as Carol Ferris, Peter Sarsgaard as Dr. Hector Hammond, and Mark Strong as Sinestro.


Sucker Punch — Fasten your seatbelt for a sneak peek at the dark action fantasy Sucker Punch, from director Zack Snyder, who previewed his films 300 and Watchmen at past Comic-Cons. A group of young girls escape the dark reality of their lives through their vivid imagination, which takes them to various fantasy locations in different realms. The ensemble cast features Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, Carla Gugino, Jena Malone, Jamie Chung, and Jon Hamm.


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Every saga has a final chapter. Kick off the year of Harry Potter with a first look at the coming screen adaptation of J. K. Rowling’s final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, with a program created just for Comic-Con fans. One way. One hero. One destiny. Don’t miss it!



1:30-2:30 Overture: Let Me In— The cast and filmmakers of Let Me In, a haunting and provocative thriller written and directed by filmmaker Matt Reeves (Cloverfield), give the Hall H audience a sneak peek at this highly anticipated film. Let Me In is an astonishing coming-of-age story involving a young girl (Kick Ass’s Chloe Moretz) and an alienated boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee from The Road) unlike any you have seen. Based on the bestselling Swedish novel Lat den Ratte Komma (Let The Right One In) by John Ajvide Lindqvist and the highly acclaimed film of the same name, Let Me In takes audiences straight to the troubled heart of adolescent longing and loneliness. Academy Award-nominee Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) also stars in this exhilarating reboot of the beloved original.


4:00-4:45 Screen Gems: Resident Evil: Afterlife— In a world ravaged by a virus infection that turns its victims into the Undead, Alice (Milla Jovovich) continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. Her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches new heights, but Alice gets some unexpected help from an old friend. A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes them to Los Angeles, but when they arrive the city is overrun by thousands of Undead and Alice and her comrades are about to step into a deadly trap. The fourth installment of the hugely successful Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil: Afterlife is again based on the wildly popular video game series and this time will be shot in 3D using the same state-of-the-art cameras created for Avatar. Writer/director Paul W. S. Anderson, along with the film’s stars Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, and Wentworth Miller, will be on hand to show you some stunning 3D sequences and answer your questions.


4:45-5:45 Universal: Paul and Cowboys & Aliens— Universal presents two upcoming films in this exclusive Hall H presentation.

Paul — Scheduled to appear for Universal Pictures’ sci-fi comedy-adventure Paul are a who’s who of film comedy. Director Greg Mottola (Superbad) will be joined by cast members Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz), Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead), 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) as they discuss the movie about two sci-fi geeks whose pilgrimage to Comic-Con ultimately takes them to America’s UFO heartland. While there, they accidentally meet an alien who takes them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever. Q&A session to follow.


Cowboys & Aliens — Director Jon Favreau (Iron Man series) discusses what’s happening behind the scenes of Universal Pictures and DreamWorks’ action-thriller Cowboys & Aliens, based on Platinum Studios’ graphic novel. Currently shooting in New Mexico, Cowboys & Aliens stars Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford and takes audiences into the Old West, where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world. Q&A session to follow.



6:00-7:00 Marvel Studios: Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger— Producer Kevin Feige and special guests give you an inside look at the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe.




As you can see, that’s a lot of panels! I’m sure there will be tons of exclusive news and announcements so make sure to visit advancescreenings.com throughout next weekend and you can also follow me on twitter for real-time updates!

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