April 28, 2006
Trailer: The Assassination of Jesse James
The movie, which created a considerable buzz around Winnipeg when some scenes were filmed there, now has a trailer available. Head over to Yahoo! movies and watch Brad Pitt in the teaser trailer for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
The movie follows Jesse James (Brad Pitt) as he plans his next great robbery. While doing this, he must keep his enemies at bay as they try to collect the reward money and glory riding on his capture. However, the greatest threat to his life may ultimately come from those he trusts the most. Robert Ford (Casey Affleck) joins Jesse James's gang, only to become resentful of the legendary outlaw, who is feared as the fastest gun in the West.
April 24, 2006
The Modern Movie Experience
CBC Arts & Entertainment has a quirky photo-essay on how to improve the modern movie experience. Obviously not to be taken too seriously but it does raise some interesting points. It's a topic I have been mulling over in my mind for quite some time and I'll try to post my thoughts once I get a chance to put them down in a coherent, organized manner :)
April 19, 2006
Disney-branded DVD players a burn hazard
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Memcorp, today announced a voluntary recall of the battery packs sold with Disney-branded DVD players. The battery packs sold with these DVD players can overheat and possibly burst when recharging, posing a risk of burns.
The products in question are:
DVD Style Model Number
Princess DP3500-PRN
Fairy Flowers DP3500-FLR
Mickey Classic DP3500-MC
Mickey Mouse DP3500-MKY
Power Rangers DP3500-POW
April 18, 2006
Sony to release DVD Walkman
Fresh on the heels of all the stories predicting the demise of the UMD format, Sony announced that they are set to launch a Walkman-branded portable DVD player, initially only available in Japan at the start of June. There has been no official price announced but the rumours have it going for about $300 US.
The tablet-style player is roughly the same size as a DVD case, with a 7-inch LCD screen that offers a 180 degree viewing angle. The player reportedly lasts between three and seven hours (depending on your use of the backlight ) on one single charge of the battery. The bundled recharging station also features integrated stereo speakers. The DVD-Walkman can handle any DVD or CD disc, including recordables and rewriteables and the newly announced DVD+RW dual-layer format. It can also read and playback MP3 files on data discs and supports Dolby Digital and DTS audio tracks.
April 17, 2006
Da Vinci Disclaimer
The religious group Opus Dei has demanded a disclaimer on the upcoming Da Vinci Code film. The film and book portrays them as a murderous, power-mad sect, which they obviously take issues with. The group feels that A disclaimer would be "a sign of respect towards the figure of Jesus Christ, the history of the Church, and the religious beliefs of viewers." The Opus Dei have sent a letter to Sony and posted a copy on their website.
The Da Vinci Code novel has sold over 40 million copies in 44 languages and has created mass public debate. The Opus Dei are a Roman Catholic sect founded in 1928 by St Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer to "spread the message that work and the circumstances of everyday life are occasions for growing closer to God, for serving others, and for improving society". If you'd like to read more about this group, check out the Time.com Opus Dei feature.
April 13, 2006
The controversial 9/11 trailer
The film United 93, which is debuting at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, has been facing a number of complaints about the trailer it has run to promote the film. The film, directed by Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy), focuses on the fourth hijacked plane, which passengers attempted to retake from hijackers before it crashed in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001.
In a report on the BBC website, it was revealed that the AMC Loews multiplex in Manhattan's Lincoln Square decided not to show the trailer after customers complained they found it distressing. "I don't think people are ready for this," said manager Kevin Adjodha. Universal Pictures and the organizers of the Tribeca festival are standing by the film.
I viewed the trailer and a few other clips and while they are intense, I thought it was tasteful and not in any way trying to sensationalize or exploit the events. What happened on that flight took courage and heroism from the passengers that gave their lives to save others. Some of the families of the victims have said they want the story told because they're proud of their loved ones. Saluting that type of bravery is important and I hope the film does well.
View the trailer at flight93.net and decide for yourself.
April 06, 2006
M:i:III Featurettes
A bit of a treat today as I have some behind-the-scenes looks at the upcoming Mission: Impossible: III. In the action-thriller, directed by J.J. Abrams (creator and executive producer of Alias and Lost), Tom Cruise returns as Special Agent Ethan Hunt, who faces the mission of his life. Opening May 5, the sequel also stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Laurence Fishburne, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Keri Russell.
All of the following clips are in QuickTime format:
April 05, 2006
Studios shutting out movie critics
Critics are being shut out of more films as studios forgo advance screenings on flicks they expect reviewers to trash, figuring the movies stand a better chance of box-office success with no reviews rather than bad ones. So far this year, 11 movies have not screened for critics before opening day, including the Rob Schneider-David Spade sports comedy "The Benchwarmers" and Mo'Nique's fashion comedy "Phat Girlz," both opening Friday. During the same period last year, just two movies did not screen in advance for reviewers.
"If we think screenings for the press will help open the movie, we'll do it," said Dennis Rice, publicity chief for Disney, which did not show its fright flick "Stay Alive" to critics before it opened in March. "If we don't think it'll help open the movie or if the target audience is different than the critics' sensibilities, then it may make sense not to screen the movie."
Excerpted from an article by David Germain, © 2006 Associated Press.