According to JoBlo, the upcoming ‘Green Lantern’ movie is getting 9 million dollars worth of touch up work. While, the WonderCon footage looked pretty nice to me, it seems that Warner Brothers wants to make sure the movie looks as good as possible. I will admit that the mask could look a little better, and Tomar-Re could move a bit more realistically.
I don’t think that this is a mad dash to fix something that’s not broken, but rather an attempt to make something good even better. Given the world of Green Lantern, spending more money to make things look ‘right’ is pretty darned important, so this is likely a good thing. The only thing I am concerned with is that WB is not planning on changing the release date of June 17th. I know the movie industry isn’t the same as the game industry, but whenever something has to be done by a certain deadline, it ends up being released in an incomplete form, and barring special editions, you can’t “patch” a movie. Hope springs eternal though. Feel free to tell us your thoughts on the matter.
Oh man. It’s actually becoming a reality! After years of anticipation The Avengers movie is going into production today! Nearly one year prior to its current planned release date!
Marvel has released an official press release on the matter, along with a little teaser photo (above) from the set that you can see below, but first, a blog post from the director himself, Joss Whedon!
Hi Pumpkins, joss here.
Tomorrow we start shooting (I THINK I’m legally permitted to say that). Day one. That’s right. We’ll be shooting the pivotal death/betrayal/product placement/setting up the sequel/coming out scene, at the following address:
[Marvel Lawyers rush in, take Joss’s keyboard, blowtorch a picture of his family like in “Stormy Monday”, drink his milkshake, leave the seat up, fluff his pillows, violently unfluff his pillows, leave]
Went too far. My bad. Anyhoo, it should be a fun day, followed by the eighty thousand other fun days it will take to finish this. I’ll be checking in from time to time, if there’s news or I crave attention (i.e. am awake) . None of it will be Avengers news — I have some very denty pillows to remind of that — but I may have tidbits. (They’re not about Firefly. I should say that up front, if only to protect Sis Mo from the HATORZ.)
Some of you may be saying, Joss! Why this link, here, now, why, huh, howcum? My friend Allyx turned me on to these guys, and I’ll tell you, they’ve gotten me through this intensely pressurized, preply time. I strongly recommend checking out their other vids — I’ve watched them many many times, and I have a very special place for “Teamwork” in my heart. These guys are the guys. And IS there a better movie title than “Eagles Are Turning People Into Horses”? I thought not.
So wish me luck. DO IT! LUCK! NOW! I’m off to finish some Buffy pages, and then figure out what the movie is about already. I’m pretty sure it’s about the Justice League [Marvel Lawyers re-enter, unspeakability occurs] or possibly something else. I’ll get it. I’ve been looking forward to this. For about 46 years.
Catchphrase!
-j.
I love the man’s sense of humor! If that’s not enough to get your geek bones tingling, here’s the official press release from Marvel as well:
Production has commenced today in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Marvel Studios’ highly anticipated movie “Marvel’s The Avengers,” directed by Joss Whedon (“Serenity”) from a screenplay by Whedon. The film will continue principal photography in Cleveland, Ohio and New York City. Robert Downey, Jr. (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”) returns as the iconic Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Chris Hemsworth (“Thor”) as Thor, Chris Evans (“Captain America: The First Avenger”) as Captain America, Jeremy Renner (“Thor,” “The Hurt Locker”) as Hawkeye, Mark Ruffalo (“The Kids Are Alright”) as Hulk, Scarlett Johansson (“Iron Man 2”) as Black Widow, Clark Gregg (“Iron Man,” “Thor”) as Agent Phil Coulson, and Samuel L. Jackson (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”) as Nick Fury. Set for release in the US on May 4, 2012, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is the first feature to be fully owned, marketed and distributed by Disney, which acquired Marvel in 2009.
Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in “Iron Man,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Iron Man 2,” “Thor,” and “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Marvel’s The Avengers” is the super hero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster.
Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1963, “Marvel’s The Avengers” brings together the mightiest super hero characters as they all assemble together on screen for the first time. The star studded cast of super heroes will be joined by Cobie Smulders (“How I Met Your Mother) as Agent Maria Hill of S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as Tom Hiddleston (“Wallander”) and Stellan Skarsgård (“Angels & Demons,” “Mamma Mia!”) who will both reprise their respective roles as Loki and Professor Erik Selvig from the upcoming Marvel Studios’ feature “Thor.”
“Marvel’s The Avengers” is being produced by Marvel Studios’ President, Kevin Feige, and executive produced by Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patty Whitcher, and Jon Favreau. Marvel Studios’ Jeremy Latcham and Victoria Alonso will co-produce.
The creative production team also includes Oscar nominated director of photography Seamus McGarvey (“Atonement”), production designer James Chinlund (“25th Hour”), Oscar winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne (“Elizabeth: The Golden Age”), Oscar winning visual effects supervisor Janek Sirrs (“Iron Man 2,” “The Matrix”), visual effects producer Susan Pickett (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”), stunt coordinator R.A. Rondell (“Superman Returns”), and four-time Oscar nominated special effects supervisor Dan Sudick (“Iron Man,” “War of the Worlds”). The editors include Oscar nominated Paul Rubell (“Collateral”) and Jeffrey Ford (“Crazy Heart”).
Marvel Studios most recently produced “Iron Man 2” which was released in theatres on May 7, 2010. The sequel to “Iron Man,” starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow as well as Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke, took the number one spot its first weekend with a domestic box office gross of $128.1 million. To date the film has earned over $620 million in worldwide box office receipts.
In the summer of 2008, Marvel produced the summer blockbuster movies, “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk.” “Iron Man,” in which Robert Downey, Jr. originally dons the super hero’s powerful armor alongside co-stars Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow, was released May 2, 2008 and was an immediate box office success. Garnering the number one position for two weeks in a row, the film brought in over $100 million its opening weekend and grossed over $571 million worldwide. On June 13, 2008, Marvel released “The Incredible Hulk” marking its second number one opener of that summer. The spectacular revival of the iconic green goliath grossed over $250 million in worldwide box office receipts.
Having just watched The Incredible Hulk this last Sunday, I’m as giddy as a geek could possible be about this. Marvel has done a great job thus far tying the two Iron Man films and the Hulk film together and I’m sure we will see that same level of execution with the upcoming Thor and Captain America movies due out in May and July respectively. Like many of you, I have complete faith in Whedon helming the Avengers film and can’t wait to see it all come together! May 2012 may seem like a ways off, but at least we have the God of Thunder and The First Avenger to hold us over in the mean time! Huzzah!
In this week’s Anime Update, we get down to discussing the live-action adaptation that is supposedly in the works for the Japanese classic, Akira. This post is pretty rant-y so prepare yourselves! Oh, and shame on you if you haven’t watched Akira yet since it’s been out since 1988, but this review contains footage with spoilers. You’ve been warned!
I first saw Akira in 2000 when a friend lent me his VHS copy, saying “If you like Anime, you have to see Akira. It’s a classic.” Not too long after watching it, I went to nearby Boston and bought myself a DVD version because I had to own it in the then-new format. It was such a chilling, excellent film, and it truly reinforced my love of anime, science fiction, and Japanese literature. The anime itself stands up as a great science fiction film, and the manga is even more incredible. If you actually take the time to read all six volumes, you’ll see just how much they had to cut out to make that film in 1988.
Allow me to be completely frank here, I don’t believe that there is any way Hollywood is going to produce a live action Akira film that’s any good. They’ve changed writers three times in the past couple of years, and the project itself has been tossed around since the early 1990’s due to the astronomical budget it would require. (Rumors state that it’s estimated at around $300 million…though I believe this estimate was made in the 90’s before recent advances in special effects and computer technology.)
There are no Japanese actors reported in the casting yet. Actually, it’s so far been reported that all Western actors are set to play the leading roles, and George Takei asked Hollywood last week to remedy this situation (as well as to quit “Whitewashing” films made in Hollywood that should have Asian ethnic groups playing characters that were originally Asian to begin with.). On top of all this, the film is going to be changed in location from Neo Tokyo to a somewhat altered version of a futuristic New York City. Rumor also has it that they’re changing all the Japanese names to Western names…leaving us to wonder how much (if any) of the plot will remain intact.
Here’s the rest of what is missing from the necessary equation, and why Hollywood should quit messing with our anime adaptations:
One of the most important aspects of Akira is that it was written by a Japanese writer who’s own cultural background and experience (coupled with a love of good sci-fi) inspired him to write such an excellent science fiction manga. Otomo grew up in Occupied Japan in the 1950’s and 60’s when a lot of families had been faced with their lives being completely turned upside down and the hard work that everyone had to do in order to regain stability. His parents were a part of a generation completely shaped by the loss of the war and the dropping of nuclear bombs in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the cultural impact of these events is still evident even today in art and cinema produced in Japan.
Though a story of science fiction, Akira explores many themes with deeper meaning that can serve as cautionary tales for humanity – including the potential ramifications of nuclear holocaust, social unrest and revolution as a result of inequality, and the dangers of power and corruption. The story itself is chilling and somewhat disturbing, and to think that this could be watered down really does make me think that much of the deeper meaning of this story would be lost.
Another point that should be mentioned here is that anything less than an ‘R’ Rating would be even more devastating to the story, especially since this dystopian, cyberpunk reality is pretty rife with violence, psychic-blasting mutations, graphic and disturbing images, and what I believe Hollywood tends to call “strong themes.”
If that doesn’t merit an R rating…I don’t know what does…
Of course, I can’t forget to mention Hollywood’s recent track record in making live action adaptations of Anime. Let’s review with two recent disasters known as Dragon Ball and The Last Airbender.
I was willing to write off The Last Airbender from the moment I heard M. Night Shyamalan was directing. That little piece of news was enough to keep me out of the theaters because I had really enjoyed the series and honestly felt it had been quite good for a Nickelodeon produced Amerime (American region cartoon that is done in an anime style). Needless to say, the film was a complete flop and fans were sad (some outraged) to see the series completely destroyed on the big screen. The dialogue was terrible, the plot was glossed over…the only positive in this movie consisted of the special effect demonstrations of element manipulation. In similar stride to the upcoming Akira release, the ethnicities of most of the major characters were changed (and this definitely did not help the already sucky adaptation).
Dragon Ball, as you probably know, was awful. In my opinion, it might be the worst live action adaptation of any anime series. Even the trailer was completely terrible. I could go on and on about how bad this movie was, but you don’t want to read that much…so here are two pieces of evidence that will say it all:
This…
and this... (It's so bad, it hurts to look at.)
Dragon Ball brings me to my final point, and this one’s a big one: if a movie is going to be bad (Now, I mean REALLY bad, like Gigli levels of bad), and you know it’s going to be bad, DON’T PAY TO SEE IT IN THEATERS! Let it bomb. Don’t give the studios more money to keep making sh*t. I feel terrible that I actually paid seven dollars to see Dragon Ball…I should have demanded my money back! While I can’t endorse the piracy of these atrocities, I can certainly tell you not to buy the DVDs or pay for a movie ticket! Then, when a copy has magically landed into your possession, make fun of it with your friends in comfort knowing that you didn’t support the studio in making more sh*tty movies.
My final advice to Hollywood: either hire the original creator and staff to advise you on Akira, or drop the project! Save yourselves from losing the buckets of money you are bound to lose, and save us from having to witness the final product of your failure.
For more news on the upcoming Akira live action film, and all your other anime and geek news, keep surfing on BSR.
Fair warning for everyone: If you don’t want to see the after the credits scene from the upcoming Thor movie, turn back now! While Marvel’s next movie won’t officially open for another 2 weeks stateside, that doesn’t mean it’s hasn’t been seen elsewhere. In this age of smartphones, with full video capabilities, it’s also really hard to stop someone from taking bad quality footage direct from the theater either.
The folks at The Flick Cast got their hands on said footage. While it doesn’t have much to do with ‘Thor’ itself (aside from one thing, but well, spoilers!), it’s pretty obvious that it ties in heavily to both ‘Captain America’ and ‘Avengers’. Watch at your own risk, although in my opinion, it’s not too bad, especially considering some of the concept art from Captain America already showed it. At any rate, we take no responsibility if you get spoiled and are angry about it afterwards. If you so dare to watch, enjoy!
UPDATE: Paramount asked the Flick Cast Guys to remove the video. If you haven’t seen it yet, you successfully avoided the spoiler, congrats!
Today I’m excited to bring you my review of Summer Wars, which I finally picked up on Blu-ray yesterday. Please note: though a bit lengthy, this review does not contain spoilers. Enjoy!
Summer Wars first premiered in Japan in 2009, and was an overnight success. Since its Japanese premier, it has won several awards including the coveted 2010 Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year. The film is directed by Mamoru Hosoda, who is well known from his prior award-winning film “The Girl Who Leapt through Time.”
The story centers around mathematical genius Kenji and his geeky friend Takashi, who spend their time working as the maintenance “code monkeys” for the OZ virtual realm. Their friend Natsuki comes into the story when she asks Kenji if he wants a job, and subsequently drags him off to her home in Ueda (near Nagano) to pretend to be her fiancé. Once there, Kenji solves a mega math problem on his cell phone that frames him as a criminal hacker who brings chaos to the virtual space known as OZ.
There are two worlds in this film: that of the Jinnouchi clan’s homestead and greater Japan, and the virtual world known as OZ. The animation in this film is groundbreaking – and effectively transports the viewer through OZ’s explosions of brilliant color and stylized characters, to stunning portrayals of Japan’s countryside. Images of Japan’s shinkansen, train stations, city-scapes, and countryside are spot on (and give you a realistic picture of the beauty of Japan…even though this story and the virtual realm that is OZ are fiction).
Natsuki’s family live in a clan home that dates back to beyond the Tokugawa era, and this film does a great job portraying the historic Japanese homestead. When Kenji enters across the delicate tatami floors, you can see Samurai armor ceremoniously displayed in the background. There are classic hardwood and panel walls, and rooms that are open to inner baths and zen gardens. The Jinnouchi family is also a romanticized portrayal of the very close bonds that many large and traditional Japanese families possess.
In the virtual world of OZ, people sign on with ultra-colorful and unique 3D avatars. This world is one of the most fun and unique portrayals of the internet and virtual community that I’ve ever seen. All speech in OZ is universal, and people speaking any language can communicate with others through the internal translator (which automatically converts text to the native language of the user). Virtual sports and games supply endless hours of entertainment (including the ultra-cool lightsaber, lazer beam filled battle arena that holds the OZ martial arts championships.). Administrative agencies, businesses, video, the news, fun, relaxation, research – everyone and everything are online and rely upon OZ to keep life going. Imagine all the media you get in your life being delivered in an ultra-colorful, 3D virtual realm. I for one think it’s stunning and imaginative, and wouldn’t mind being planted into OZ for a day or two!
The plot isn’t just cutting-edge, it’s truly immersive – it really manages to plant you into a place where virtual reality can ultimately change our lives forever (and perhaps this future is not unlike our own). The social commentary that serves as the backdrop to this film really does speak to our over-reliance on technology. We also see the conflict and struggle to maintain balance between two worlds – one driven by the connectivity we get through the internet and one that values traditional networking, family ties, and friendly alliances.
When the cyber terrorism A.I. takes over OZ, it threatens the world by shutting down everything we rely on. Imagine everything that supports society suddenly going haywire – traffic lights, GPS, water mains, electricity, gas lines, power lines, emergency services, fire alarms, train systems, bank accounts, walk signals, cell phones, television, satellites, nuclear missiles – anything and everything that is linked to the internet! If anyone has seen Live Free or Die Hard, you’ll note that this collapse is a lot like the “Fire Sail” they discuss in that movie. This artificial intelligence, programmed to learn and seemingly unstoppable, manages to crash the entire infrastructure of Japan, and the world, in a matter of minutes.
Summer Wars should be a must-see for anime fans and for those who aren’t even really that much into anime. It has a wide appeal like many Ghibli films and I feel it could be enjoyed by just as wide an audience. With DVD and Blu-ray versions widely available now in the States (and available for rent through Netflix), I definitely suggest giving it a watch. Can Kenji, his friends, and the Jinnouchi clan stop the A.I. from destroying everything around them? Watch the movie and find out!
Enjoy this theatrical trailer from Warner Brothers and look for the DVD and Blu-ray versions on Amazon and Netflix.
This week, we’re starting a new serial! This one is really quite interesting, and it ties into the current movie season! Captain America is a Republic serial, that usually means a couple of things for serial fans. A) Expect a lot of fun and B) Don’t expect a faithful adaptation. Watching this, you’ll find that Captain America is not Steve Rogers, doesn’t carry a shield, but doesn’t have any qualms about gunplay. The thing that jarred me the most though is the lack of ears and wings on the cowl. It’s very surreal, but really fascinating to watch. It’s kind of the poster boy for keeping tight rein on your adaptation. As opposed to Green Hornet, I actually have a lot of stuff related to this serial, so I’ll be sharing some each week, but first, let’s watch Chapter 1 of Captain America: The Purple Death!
Crazy stuff. Anyway, here are some of the cool extras I have from this chapter of the serial:
According to NYMag, John C. Reilly is all but cast as Haymitch in the Hunger Games. For those not in the know, Haymitch Abernathy is a drunk, which makes Reilly perfect for this. He’s also a former champion of the gladiatorial Hunger Games, and serves as a mentor for Katniss, the main character.
I was really concerned they’d do this wrong. They’d stunt-cast Jack Black or Adam Sandler to try to get a “name” in the cast. But the Oscar-nominated Reilly is perfect in my opinion. First, he can play the drunk.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZWXEPDHSWY
It wouldn’t surprise me if some casting agent had recently been watching Cedar Rapids and said, “That man’s perfect! Get me John C. Reilly!!”
Not to typecast as just a great drunk, Reilly can play… almost anything. He was nominated for his supporting role in Chicago and was, in my opinion, the best part of that movie for his amazing performance of “Mr. Cellophane.” His work on ridiculous comedies like Talladega Nights (where he improvised some of his best lines) and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is legendary. But recently he’s been kind of slumming it for mainstream roles recently- ie, The Vampire’s Assistant, and his best performances have been in indie cinema like Cedar Rapids and Cyrus.
Because his most visible roles have been in screwball comedies, some fans are concerned Reilly can’t play Haymitch. I disagree.I think Reilly has the chops to play Falstaff (and if he can do Shakespeare he can certainly do juvenile fiction) and would love to have seen his work in Streetcar Named Desire on Broadway.
Also, according to the NYMag story, Reilly had been in talks to join James Franco in Oz the Great and Powerful. Without Robert Downey Jr in that role it makes it much less appealing, and he would be making a smart move away from that production to this, which could have the potential to not just be the next Harry Potter, but perhaps the next ET. The source material is just that good, and yes, Swankmotron, you should read it.
What about the rest of you robots? Is this gold, or a bad idea?
We’re back with another episode of The Big Movie Mouth-Off podcast!
The podcast features the stars and producers of The Big Movie Mouth-Off film review show, which appears here at Big Shiny Robot! and on Xfinity (Utah On Demand and Channel 6). That lineup is: Jeff Vice from MSN Entertainment, Jimmy Martin from SLUG Magazine, and Bryan Young (me) and Elias Pate from Big Shiny Robot! and ShineBox Media Productions.
We’ve had Green Lantern trailers before, and this one doesn’t really have a lot of new footage, but if you squint really hard, you can catch a shot of Parallax, the entity of fear. The trailer seems to suggest that Abin Sur, the Green Lantern of Earth’s space sector is killed by Parallax, which is an interesting movie-style “let’s tie everything into one origin” approach. The movie is still set to hit June 17th, though it still isn’t rated. Take a peek and let us know what you think!
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paula Malcomson (form Caprica and Deadwood, most notably) has been cast to play the mother of Katniss and Prim, two characters from the wildly popular Hunger Games novels.
I’ve not seen Caprica yet, but I can’t imagine she’s a bad actress. There’s been a lot to do about some casting not living up to your expectations, but I want to know if this jives with your notions of the character. Is she even a big enough part to stress about?
From the Hollywood Reporter, about the part:
In the books, Katniss and Prim’s mother is grieving after her husband’s death, living in fear that her daughters will participate in the deadly Hunger Games.
Sounds pretty one dimensional to me.
And the film is scheduled to come out March 23, 2012, which seems awful soon if they’re still casting and haven’t started shooting yet. It could be a horrible, botched, rush job.
Ordinarily, Scarlett Ro’Botica would be reporting on this since she’s read the books, but she’s returned to the red earth of Tara for vacation. It’s where she gets her strength. It’s part of her and she’s part of it. So here I am, cluelessly reporting this news.
And so I’m going to open this up to a poll. Should I be reading The Hunger Games in advance of the movie? I hear far too many people raving about it and that’s finally what got me to read Harry Potter. But the same could be said for Twilight and out of bizarre curiosity I read some of it to find that it was insufferable garbage.
So, faithful readers of Big Shiny Robot!: Should I get in on this?
