Some time after Michael Crichton passed away from cancer late last year at 66 years, he left behind an unfinished manuscript that was discovered amongst his files by an assistant. Just when the literary world thought they’d seen the last of Crichton, readers are now thrilled to land their hands on a brand new novel by him. An additional author was hired to complete the work, and it has recently been published as “Pirate Latitudes”.

Perhaps even more interesting for mainstream audiences is that Steven Spielberg is now on board to create a film based on the story. According to Spielberg, “Michael and I have had almost two decades of solid collaborations. Whenever I made a film from a Michael Crichton book or screenplay, I knew I was in good hands. Michael felt the same, and we like to think he still does.”

It is not hard to imagine the tremendous influence that Crichton has had on people during his lifetime, but what of his own influences? A dig through the archives reveals that a lot of his favourite literary works are rooted in the classics, and of course a healthy dose of science fiction. He long admired authors like Mark Twain and Arthur Conan Doyle for their writing styles and techniques, often citing them at the top of his list of favourites. Alfred Hitchcock was also often favoured by him – no surprise since Crichton’s work has consistently displayed a strong cinematic quality.

While Crichton was an English Literature student at Harvard, he did not fare very well. So much so, that one day he tried an experiment. He submitted an essay written by none other than the renowned George Orwell. The professor returned the paper with a paltry B-minus – one step up from Crichton’s C average. Following this incident, Crichton mused, “I thought, if George Orwell only deserves a B-minus, this was vastly too difficult a field for me. I aspired to be Orwell, and he was just scraping by at Harvard.”

Are you a fan of Michael Crichton’s work? How has he influenced you or your writing?

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — An analyst upgraded DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. on Monday, saying the stock has come down to more “reasonable” levels after speculation of a possible buyout has faded.

Caris & Co. analyst David Miller said investors bought up DreamWorks shares after Walt Disney Co. announced its $4 billion acquisition of Marvel Entertainment Inc. in August, fueling speculation that DreamWorks might be purchased as well.

1		The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)	$42.5M	$231M
2		The Blind Side (2009)	$40.1M	$100M
3		2012 (2009/I)	$18M	$139M
4		Old Dogs (2009/I)	$16.8M	$24.1M
5		A Christmas Carol (2009)	$16M	$105M
6		Ninja Assassin (2009)	$13.1M	$21M
7		Planet 51 (2009)	$10.2M	$28.5M
8		Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)	$7.09M	$32.4M
9		Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)	$7.02M	$10.1M
10		The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)	$1.52M	$30.5M

New Moon has set a record for the  biggest Thanksgiving weekend ever with over $66 mil for the first 5 days of being out. And they have made over $270 mil so far. That’s pretty darn good. The Blind Side did really well too with over $40 mil and over $100 mil total so far. I hope this helps Sandra realize she doesn’t have to make terrible movies. Good ones will do better for her.

Other Film News:

This is funny. For his audition to play the park ranger in the live action Yogi Bear film, this guy filmed himself reading his part to a real bear! And he got the part! Good for you, TJ Miller. They are filming now in New Zealand. Here is his audition:

J.J. Abrams, they guy who directed the awesome Star Trek film is going to direct a feature film version of Samurai Jack. It will be animated with some 3D.

Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps  is filming in New York with Michael Douglas and Shia LaBeouf. Donald Trump has a cameo. Charlie Sheen, Josh Brolin, and Susan Sarandon are also in it. Maybe it’ll be good. I liked the first one.

On top of all the whoring advertising James Cameron has been doing for Avatar he’s going to have a live webcast Q & A on MTV with the cast BEFORE the 1/2 hour TV special that they will air. Overkill? I think maybe so.

From Variety.com:

The DreamWorks principals have greenlit the “Rocky”-esque robot tale “Real Steel,” to star Hugh Jackman, as their first pic since raising $650 million from both J.P. Morgan Securities and Reliance Big Pictures and an additional $175 million from Disney, which will distrib DreamWorks titles.

Story centers on a fighter who has to reinvent himself when human boxers are replaced by robots. Jackman will play a struggling Robot Boxing promoter who finds a discarded robot that always seems to win. He also discovers he has a 11-year-old son, and they bond as the robot brawls its way toward the top.

Although grounded in the father-son relationship, Levy describes the film as a “rousing sports movie” with Jackman’s character “a former boxer who can no longer do the only job he’s good at, and one particular robot that may be his return to grace.”

Paranormal Activity

Cine Low-Cost

¿Os acordáis de El Proyecto de La Bruja de Blair (The Blair Witch Proyect)? Hace ahora diez años, esta película deslumbro a prensa y público por su calidad, originalidad y sobre todo por su inesperada rentabilidad. Un film de terror de bajo presupuesto, rodado con cámaras de 16 mm y video casero Hi-8, dónde la mayoría de las escenas fueron rodadas en primera persona, y cuya historia iba y venía entre la realidad y la ficción. Costando todo  el entramado 60.000 dólares, El Proyecto de La Bruja de Blair recaudó 248 millones en todo el mundo y está considerada una verdadera película de culto.

Pues bien, con Paranormal Activity, se ha rizado el rizo. En esta ocasión, la película ha costado 15.000 dólares y hoy por hoy, lleva recaudado más de 100 millones de dólares. Ineludiblemente, sobra decir que ha alcanzado la primera posición en las taquillas norte-americanas. Todo un hito en el mundo del cine. Fue filmada en tan sólo siete días y en la propia casa del inexperto director, Oren Peli. Los protagonistas, actores no profesionales, cobraron 350 dólares cada uno al rodar la película (a saber el dineral que están ganando ahora).

La película estuvo en el Screamfest Film Festival de 2007. Allí, un productor, Jason Blum, la vio y movió ficha para lograr distribución. Sin éxito. El Festival de Sundance la rechazó, pero no el Slamdance Festival. Aun así, nadie quería estrenarla en salas.

Spielberg mete mano

Aquí es dónde comienza la imparable subida vertiginosa de Paranormal Activity. La película llega a las manos de Steven Spielberg y es éste quién en un comunicado, comento que estando sólo en su casa, tuvo que dejar de ver la película de lo horrorizado que estaba. Al día siguiente, mientras desayunaba, fue cuando por fin, terminó de verla.

Esto provocó inevitablemente que la película estuviera en boca de todos. Al ser rechazada por varios festivales y productoras, la película no se estrenaría en los cines de Estados Unidos. Por lo que hubo una gran campaña a través de internet: Si quieres ver la película en tus salas de cine, ¡pídela! Y así fue, la gente comenzó a pedir la película y varias salas de cine optaron por apoyar la película. Todo eso a priori claro, hasta que Steven Spielberg y DreamWorks entraron en escena y ahora sí, todas las salas de cine de EE.UU se aferraron a Paranormal Activity. Y cómo es evidente, todo lo que triunfa en USAlandia, triunfa en el resto del mundo. Y a la vista está, que la cinta es una autentica locomotora, no para y arrasa en todos los cines de todos los países.

¿De qué va Paranormal Activity?

El argumento es más simple aún: Una joven pareja de clase media, Katie Featherston y Micah Armstrongde, viven aterrorizados por la presencia en casa de un ente maligno. Micah, obsesionado por entender lo sucedido, se hace con una cámara para poder grabar todo lo que se acontece en la casa. La cámara grabará absolutamente todo lo que pase. Es por las noches cuando emerge la actividad paranormal. Mientras duermen, en la casa, alguien los acecha, los persigue, los intimida, ellos no saben qué o quién es, pero siempre está ahí, atento, vigilante, observador al igual que nosotros, que en todo momento, veremos y sentiremos cosas que los protagonistas sin embargo no sentirán…hasta que se despierten del susto y comprueben que esa entidad, cada vez, está más impetuosa y agresiva.

Una cosa que se me venía siempre en mente es: Si pasan esos calvarios todas las noches, ¿cómo tienen los huevos de seguir durmiendo como si nada día tras día? Yo desde el primer ruidito, me hubiese largado de allí cagando hostias. Y es que, si, sentí miedo en la sala, pasé momentos realmente en viva tensión.

Es de lo mejor que se puede ver actualmente en los cines junto con Planet 51 y Siempre a Tu Lado Hachiko.

¡Muy recomendada!

Putos americanos, que envidia me dan.

Esto no tiene NADA que ver con la película en cuestión, todo lo contrario. Aprovecho este artículo para comentar otra de las cosas que se me venían en mente mientras la veía: ¡MENUDAS CHOZAS TIENEN LOS YANKEES! Y es que, una vez más, comprobamos que en los Estados Unidos, no se llevan los bloques de viviendas ni los típicos pisitos que aquí vemos. Allí, es desde siempre, muy típico construir chalets y más chalets. Ya seas un prestigioso abogado, o un peón de albañil, si eres americano y vives en las inmediaciones del centro de la ciudad, vivirás en una urbanización de chalets.

Maldita sea la hora en que aquí en España no se hizo desde un principio eso. Aquí tienes que ser bastante rico para permitirte un chalet en un bonito y plácido residencial.

En la película, Micah y Katie, viven en una estupenda casa de tres plantas (desván incluido), con un bonito porche principal y un espacioso jardín trasero con piscina. Óle. Y si te fijas, ya sea en dicha película o en cualquier escena dónde aparezcan urbanizaciones de los Estados Unidos, comprobarás que todas siguen el mismo patrón.

¡Qué alegría!

Un abrazo.

Álvaro R.

Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider are betting big on robots for their first project since securing $825 million in financing for the reconstituted DreamWorks.

Hugh Jackman

The DreamWorks principals have greenlit the “Rocky”-esque robot tale “Real Steel,” to star Hugh Jackman, as their first pic since raising $650 million from both J.P. Morgan Securities and Reliance Big Pictures and an additional $175 million from Disney, which will distribute DreamWorks titles.

Plot Summary
A future-set story where robot boxing is a popular sport and centered on a struggling promoter (Jackman) who thinks he’s found a champion in a discarded robot. During his hopeful rise to the top, he also discovers he has an 11-year-old son who wants to know his father.

Directed by Shawn Levy

Writers
  Leslie Bohem Screenplay
  John Gatins Screenplay
  Dan Gilroy Writer
  Jeremy Leven Writer
  Richard Matheson Short story

Producers
  Rick Benattar … co-producer
  Shawn Levy … producer
  Josh McLaglen … executive producer
  Mary McLaglen … executive producer
  Susan Montford … producer
  Don Murphy … producer
  Jack Rapke … executive producer
  Steven Spielberg … executive producer
  Steve Starkey … executive producer
  Robert Zemeckis … producer

Source(s) Variety, IMDB, TheWrap.com

Amazon Specials!

Dar mėnesis iki Kalėdų ,bet jau išejo Madagaskaro kalėdų special’as. Jee :]

“Any landing you can walk away is a good landing” – Skipper

Autorius: Dreamworks

P.S. Geriau parsipūskite iš Linkomanijos.

Já está na net a primeira imagem do quarto filme do ogro Shrek. A animação da DreamWorks, “Shrek Forever After”, prevista para chegar aos cinemas dos EUA em Imax e em 3D em maio do próximo ano, deve ter seu primeiro trailer lançado na estreia do filme “Avatar”, de James Cameron, nas telas em dezembro. Sobre a história, o diretor Mike Mitchell declarou que Shrek está se sentindo muito domesticado e sente falta de seus momentos “selvagens”. Para recuperar seu instinto de ogro, ele faz um acordo com Rumpelstintskin (homenzinho ao seu lado na foto), o que acaba levando a outras aventuras na trama.

A produtora Dreamworks confirmou na última semana que irá produzir um novo seriado do diretor e produtor de cinema Steven Spielberg e do escritor Stephen King.

A trama será baseada no livro “Under the Dome”, uma das obras mais recentes de King. A história será ambientada em uma pequena cidade litorânea dos Estados Unidos, que será isolada do restante do país após eventos misteriosos começarem a assustar os moradores do local.

Apesar da confirmação, ainda não há previsão de cronograma definido para a nova série. A Dreamworks ainda está atrás de roteiristas para redigirem os episódios do novo suspense.

Готови ли сте! Седнете внимателно, пийте едно валерианче… оф кого заблуждавам. Вече ми е невъзможно да се хайпна за Шрек… ъъъ 4? Вълнувам се единствено заради факта, че DreamWorks са обещали, че това е последният филм от поредицата Не че не харесвам бандата във филма, просто започвам да развивам тотална непоносимост към всичко развиващо се ала “Дързост и Красота”

Ето я и ултра “вълнуващата” първа снимка от филма:

Ухуууу
Малко повече детайли за филма в cinefish.bg

USA Today has just released the very first picture from May 2010’s Shrek Forever After, showing the eponymous ogre and the trickster Rumpelstiltskin. The previous films have made millions upon millions, making a fourth installment unsurprising. Personally, I had never been a fan of the first Shrek, but the second one definitely won me over with the hilarious Puss in Boots, Prince Charming and Jennifer Saunders’ hilarious turn as the Fairy Godmother. The third, I felt, was much weaker, but the numbers proved me wrong and if only out of curiosity, I’m thinking I’ll find myself catching this next year.

So here’s a look at what you can expect from the film, its plot and even a couple of its very famous guest stars.

Even fairy tales must come to an end.

The once-upon-a-time spoofing that began with 2001’s Shrek will conclude when Shrek Forever After, the fourth computer-animated comic adventure starring the hygiene-challenged ogre — and the first in 3-D — arrives May 21. A trailer premieres Dec. 18 at showings of Avatar.

“All that was loved about Shrek in the first film is brought to the final film,” promises Bill Damaschke, head of creative production at DreamWorks. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz are back as the voices of Shrek, sidekick Donkey and ogress wife Fiona.

The premise is the Brothers Grimm meets It’s a Wonderful Life: After rescuing a princess, getting hitched and fathering triplets, Shrek is feeling over-domesticated. “He has lost his roar,” says director Mike Mitchell (Sky High, Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo). “It used to send villagers running away in terror. Now they run to him and ask him to sign their pitchforks and torches.”

To regain his ogre mojo, he strikes a deal with Rumpelstiltskin, the wee troublemaker who popped up briefly in Shrek 2 and 3.

Though certain websites wrongly, and somewhat bizarrely, list Paul McCartney as the voice of the vile schemer, it is actually non-Beatle Walt Dohrn, the film’s head of story, who does the honors.

Of course, the pact goes awry and Shrek must confront what life would be like in Far Far Away if he had never existed. That translates into Donkey being forced into cart-pulling duty, fat and lazy Puss in Boots trading his sword for a pink bow and the underhanded Rumpelstiltskin ruling the kingdom.

No Shrek outing would be complete without new characters, and there are a bunch. Comedians Kathy Griffin and Kristin Schaal (Flight of the Conchords) are witches who hunt ogres. On the side of good is an underground resistance group led by Jon Hamm of Mad Men. “He is the best-looking ogre you’ve ever seen,” Mitchell says.

So does Shrek Forever After wrap up with everyone living happily ever after? “I hate to give away the ending,” Mitchell says, “but yes.”

* * *

If you’re a fan of the series, be sure to check out the collection of Shrek figures over at CmdStore. We’ve still got a few left from the second film, as well as a pair of figures from the Holiday special. My personal favourite item still available would have to be this set of toys, which comes with Puss in Boots, the Gingerbread Man and Pinocchio, too, plus a couple props that really help bring the set to life.

And for those seeking the original films, look no further an Amazon.com for all your Shrek-ing needs.

Shrek (Full Screen Single Disc Edition)
Shrek 2 (Widescreen Edition)
Shrek the Third (Widescreen Edition)
The Shrek Trilogy (Shrek / Shrek 2 / Shrek the Third) (Full Screen Edition)
Shrek the Halls

Shrek y Rumpelstiltskin

USA Today reveló un primer vistazo a la animación de la Dreamworks denominada “Shrek Forever After” la cual es la cuarta y última película de la serie.

Esta cinta saldrá en el cine y en IMAX en 3D el 21 de mayo. El primer trailer será develado con la película de Avatar de James Cameron, la cual tiene una fecha de estreno del 18 de diciembre.

El director Mike Mitchel dijo:

“Shrek se siente que ya está domesticado en esta cuarta parte. Ya perdió su rugido. Acostumbraba mandar a los aldeano corriendo y gritando de terror y ahora ellos corren hacia él y le piden que firme sus tridentes y sus antorchas.

Para recuperar su magia de ogro, hace un trato con Rumpelstiltskin, ese problemático personaje que saliera de ratitos en Shrek 2 y 3.”

Se había rumorado de que las voz de Paul McCartney iba a ser la del villano pero ahorita se sabe que Walt Dohrn será el que haga los honores.

Tanto Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy y Cameron Diaz están de vuelta para hacer sus voces en la película y nuevos comediantes se integran a esta movie como Kathy Griffin y Kristin Schaal como las brujas que cazan ogros. Del lado de los buenos esta un grupo de la resistencia liderados por John Hamm de MadMen quien la hace de “el ogro más guapo que jamás hayas visto”

Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx try to get away with some loot from the Disney Theater.

(DreamWorks) Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Catherine Keener, Tom Hollander, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Nelsan Ellis, Rachael Harris, Stephen Root. Directed by Joe Wright

Friendships can sometimes be formed in the most unlikely of places between the most unlikely of people. These are the sorts of friendships that can be life-altering for both of the parties involved.

Steve Lopez (Downey) is a successful columnist for the Los Angeles Times. While his marriage is on the rocks (to his editor Mary (Keener) no less) and he has been injured in a bicycle accident, his career is at least doing well.

One afternoon he hears music coming from Pershing Square near the Times building and discovers a homeless man sawing away on a two-stringed cello and making astonishing music. This is Nathaniel Ayers Jr. (Foxx) and as Lopez later discovers, he was once a prodigy who studied at Julliard before his schizophrenia forced him to drop out of school and essentially from life.

Intrigued, Lopez writes a column about Ayers. A reader, touched by the story, sends a new cello for Ayers which Lopez delivers. This touches off a friendship between the two as Lopez acts as something of a guardian angel for the highly erratic and sometimes explosive Ayers. Lopez follows Ayers to a shelter in downtown L.A. (filming took place on Skid Row where the shelter is located and actual homeless people were used as extras) and inspired, writes a series of articles on the homeless situation in the City of Angels.

This leads to awards and acclaim for Lopez but he feels conflicted about this – like he’s profiting on the plight of his friend. He tries to help him, sets up recitals and an apartment for the former prodigy but Ayers’ mental illness is once again getting in the way. Will the demons in Ayers nature prevent him from leaving the mean streets of L.A.?

Like real life, the movie doesn’t answer this question because this true story is continuing. The real Nathaniel Ayers still lives in Skid Row and while his fame has allowed him to leave the streets, he still grapples with his mental illness.

Director Wright (who previously directed Atonement) has a good eye for detail and uses his L.A. locations to make a gritty, grimy portrayal of the streets which exist in a truly tragic juxtaposition within blocks of the glamour of the Walt Disney Theater in downtown L.A. Oscar-nominated (for Erin Brockovich) screenwriter Susannah Grant has the thankless job of trying to capture Ayers’ madness without compromising the story’s realism and for the most part, she succeeds although she does wander into maudlin territory from time to time though not enough to torpedo the movie.

At the center of the film is the relationship between Ayers and Lopez; if the actors can’t capture that then the film is a disaster. Fortunately, Wright cast two of the better actors working today in Downey and Foxx to tackle the roles and they both do stellar jobs. Downey has the more nuanced role in Lopez; he’s flippant and cynical but with a soft heart. He’s not the stereotypical driven and ambitious journalist; he’s more of an observer than a reporter.

Jamie Foxx resists the urge to over-dramatize the mental illness of Nathaniel Ayers but still manages to effectively portray the demons that torment him. This performance required a master’s hand to pull off and fortunately it got one. I don’t know if this is Foxx’s second Oscar-winning performance (it’s unlikely – the movie was postponed from its original November 2008 release date and relegated to the relatively barren April, when few films get any Oscar consideration) but it certainly merits a look.

Wright and Grant set out to make the movie as real and believable as possible and except for a few hiccups were successful. I like that the movie ended without tying things up in a neat package. I also admire the performances of the lead actors which are so compelling that some fine character actors also cast here are almost shuffled off to the wayside not through any fault of their own.

This movie, possibly because its release date was mishandled, didn’t get the kind of box office love it should have gotten (and might have gotten if the studio had stuck to a fall release date). Still, if you didn’t see it in theaters (and you probably didn’t), this is worth seeking out on home video.

WHY RENT THIS: Both Downey and Foxx turn in outstanding performances. The relationship at the heart of the movie is believable. The resolution of the movie is not really a resolution but ties the events together nicely while ringing true to the realism of the story.

WHY RENT SOMETHING ELSE: The story occasionally meanders into the maudlin.

FAMILY VALUES: There’s a good deal of crude language, some drug use and the overall theme of mental illness and homelessness might be a bit much for children.

TRIVIAL PURSUIT: During the final concert scene in the movie, the real Nathaniel Ayers Jr. can be seen in the front row of the concert hall.

NOTABLE DVD EXTRAS: There is an interview with the real Steve Lopez and Nathaniel Ayers Jr. in which the interplay that the actors modeled the relationship on is clearly visible. There is also a feature and an animated short on the situation with homelessness in Los Angeles which has one of the largest homeless populations in the world.

FINAL RATING: 7/10

TOMORROW: The Astronaut Farmer

Hugh Jackman protagoniza cinta de robots producida por Spielberg

”Real steel” está basado en un cuerto corto del escritor Richard Matheson y se filmará el próximo año.

También hoy nos dicen en el Variety de que Dreamworks y Steven Spielberg junto con Stacey Snider, le han dado luz verde para la cinta de “Real Steel”. Esta cinta será protagonizada por Hugh Jackman con Shawn Levy como director. Se basa en la historia corta hecha por Richard Matheson y con un presupuesto bastante humilde de tan sólo $80 millones de dólares.

Originalmente, Dreamkworks compró el libreto en $850,000 dólares (nada mal para Dan Gilroy) en el 2005 y John Gatins es la última persona que le ha echado mano.

“Real Steel” se trata de un peleador que se tiene que reinventar a sí mismo cuando los boxeadores humanos han sido reemplazados por robots. Jakcman va a hacerla de un promotor de robots boxeadores y todo inicia cuando encuentra a un robot que siempre sale victorioso al final. El personaje de Jackson también se da cuenta de que tiene un hijo de 11 años y que se relaciona mucho con el robot que poco a poco va subiendo hacia la cumbre.

El inicio de producción de esta movie comenzará en Junio.

We went and saw Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs we saw in the theater but chose not do to 3D because my kids hate having the glasses on and in 3D if you take your glasses off the screen is blurry… plus 3D costs more. I was the only person in my family excited to see the movie. I read the book growing up and was thinking it would be cool. I felt it was sort of a let down. Do not get me wrong the movie wasn’t horrible but I do not know that I will buy it.. Only time will tell though. I would give the movie 3 stars. My kids and husband felt pretty much the same way although my kids really loved all the yummy food and scientific stuff. The story was a bit weak though I think the essence of the book still shone through.

I saw both The Kung Fu Panda and WALL·E in the theater. At the time I probably would have said 4 1/2 stars for The Kung Fu Panda and 4 stars for WALL·E. Since I now own them both on Blu-ray and watch them quite often I would now have to say I rate them both 5 stars.

The Kung Fu Panda, is not only likable it is down right adorable. From the witty humor to the fantastic animation it is a solid movie. The story also is a good one with a good moral though I do not know if children grasp that level of it. I know my kids just think a big fat panda bear saying HI-YAH is hilarious.

WALL·E, on the other hand on first viewing was a bit depressing to me even though my kids thought it the most fantastic movie ever I was a bit annoyed. I think because I usually watch animation movies to escape the real world and this movie just made me think more about real things. It is a very deep movie. It delves into our world and how we are as people. Of course most kids won’t get this either. My two love it because there are robots and spaceships. Since it is Pixar you know the movie is Gold anyway.. or at least I do. Now that I have watched it a gazillion times I think my mind has kind of learned not to think on the things and just watch it for the silly parts, making it a more enjoyable experience.

Up, which is also a Pixar movie, is a great film. We saw it in the theater and at that time I would have given it 4 stars but now that we own it on Blu-ray I have to say 5 stars. It has a deep story ( more so for the opening of the film.) But it is a light-hearted, sweet, family friendly movie. I will say that my oldest child got the depth of the beginning in a way.. She wanted to know why the lady couldn’t have a baby.. My son not so much but he is very frightened by the “mean” dogs.  Overall, I give it 5 stars and I think right now it is the family’s # 1 pick.

Bolt, my daughter and I saw in the theater. She loved it I thought it was so-so. At the time I would have given it 2 1/2 to 3 stars.  Since then we have bought it on, can you guess? Yep, Blu-ray. After re-watching it, I think I would give it 3 1/2 to 4 stars. I think the casting of the voice of the lead girl (Miley Cyrus) was a bad choice. Her voice is kinda raspy and deep and for some reason it really annoys me. However, I LOVE the hamster’s voice – I think it goes perfect. The storyline was not too bad but at times a bit cheesy to me. Overall still good enough to watch. FYI – My son is very afraid of the green-eyed man.

10. Toy Story (1995)

To be honest, most of the reason that Toy Story is in this top ten is its status as a milestone of animation. Toy Story truly is the most influential animated film since Snow White, ringing in the new trend of computer animation. However, that is not the only reason it made the list. Toy Story is really a delightful movie with colourful characters and a timeless essence which I believe will preserve this movie as a classic for kids of all ages.

9. Spirited Away (2001)

Hayao Miyazaki is the master of animation, and Spirited Away is one of his masterpieces. Spirited Away proves that there are things that can be done with animation which probably could never be pulled off in live-action movie making. Spirited away is pure, unadulterated child’s imagination laid out for us on screen, and it blew audiences away, even becoming the highest grossing film in Japanese history.

8. The Iron Giant (1999)

Over the past decade, non-Disney animated films have really taken hold and found a niche of their own. However, before this explosion of new animation, non-Disney cartoon movies were few and far between. And really good non-Disney animated movies were even harder to find. However, hidden between the Toy Storys and Lion Kings and Shreks is a wonderful little movie called The Iron Giant.
The Iron Giant may seem like a simple tale, but it is handled brilliantly, complete with real character relationships, themes which may be a little hard-edged, and a wonderful emotional core. If you have not yet seen The Iron Giant, do yourself a favour and watch it.

7. Shrek (2001)

Now, lets be straight here: I am not talking about the ridiculously over-commercialized sequels. I truly believe that the very name of Shrek has been muddied by the greed of the studio and filmmakers involved, and that the magic of this original first movie has been hidden from view.
Shrek was a movie which defied the regular story tale approach that most animated movies (Disney especially) had been taking. The computer animation itself was very refreshing at the time, and the sharp humour mixed with the emotional impact made for one fantastic film. Its too bad that when we see the lovable green ogre we no longer see this great movie, but instead we see the dollar signs of greed, the Burger King promotions, and the terrible sequels riddled with pop culture junk. Just don’t forget; Shrek at one time did mean something.

6. Wall*E (2008)

It may seem presumptuous to put a movie which is still so new onto this list. However, Pixar has been the powerhouse of animation over this last decade, and this story of a funny little robot who would find the lost human race is their absolute masterpiece. Fro the nearly-silent and brilliant opening to the exciting conclusion, WallE has some really deep themes sinking in, which remaining very light-hearted at its center. An absolutely brilliant piece of work.

5. Fantasia (1940)

Fantasia seems like it was really an experiment on the blending of animation with music, with audio and visual swirling together in one harmoniously package. Well, it worked. And now Disney’s cartoon opera has a firm hold in the history of film-making and is a landmark in animated feature films.

4. Princess Mononoke (1997)

Perhaps the most inventive country in animation is Japan, and there is none greater than Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki hand draws each frame by himself, an incredible feat in this age of production-lines. Princess Mononoke is Miyazaki’s masterpiece; an epic full of adventure, romance, fantasy, heroes and villains. It has a heavy theme involving the conflict of the industrial age and the need for ecological balance with nature. It is a brilliant film in almost every regard, and perhaps the greatest from the most imaginative and daring country in animation today.

3. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938)

Snow White is the Birth of a Nation for animated films. Walt Disney’s landmark film brought full-scale, feature-length animation to the forefront, and he then reigned on the animation throne for many decades to come. Snow White is beloved by many and has a unique place in the annals of film history. It was a spectacular achievement of its time, opening to doors to what animation can truly do to the movies.

2. Beauty and the Beat (1991)

In the late 80s/ early 90s, Disney was undergoing a new renaissance. They had found new life in a series of high quality stories amidst great-looking animation. The Little Mermaid kicked off this new golden era, but it was Beauty and the Beast where it hit its peak. The art in this movie looked amazing, while the characters were fully realized and the story flowed perfectly. Beauty and the Beast was the first, and so far still the only, animated movie to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, and for good reason.

1. Pinocchio (1940)

Snow White may have started off Disney’s reign on the throne of animation, but Pinocchio was his crowning achievement. Many film critics around the world recognize this movie as the best that animated feature films has to offer. It was able to take what worked from Snow White and fix everything that didn’t work. And think about how iconic some of the themes and parts of that movie are now, especially the song “When you wish upon a star” and Jiminy Cricket, the physical representation of Pinocchio’s conscience which has become a song of inspiration for many people over the years. The tale is a classic morality tale played out through wonderful storytelling and fantasy.

Actividad Paranormal

Terror. Sobrenatural / SINOPSIS: Una joven pareja feliz de clase media es atormentada por un espíritu demoníaco. Micah y Katie son una pareja de jóvenes de vida normal. Ella es una estudiante próxima a graduarse de profesora, y él es un corredor de bolsa que trabaja desde su casa. Llevan tres años viviendo juntos en una casa que hasta ahora parecía que era todo normal, hasta que comienzan a aparecer fenómenos extraños paranormales… Film casero de bajísimo presupuesto -apenas 11.000 dólares- que consiguió casi 8 millones de dólares de recaudación en su primer fin de semana en USA, superando los 84 millones hasta la fecha -y poniéndose líder de taquilla en su 5ª semana-. Tras visionarla Steven Spielberg, su productora Dreamworks accedió a distribuirla, y por su parte la Paramount realizó una campaña online en la que prometía estrenarla en más cines si así lo pedían los internautas, llegando a firmar cientos de miles de usuarios. Por si fuera poco ha conseguido buenas críticas de los medios. El resultado es ya la película más rentable de la historia del cine, y otro éxito de márketing viral sobre un film de terror de bajo presupuesto -véase “Halloween” o “El proyecto de la bruja de Blair”- (FILMAFFINITY)

Variety now has word that Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks TV have optioned the book and are looking to set it up as a mini series, likely for cable. Spielberg will executive produce.

In “Tropic Thunder,” a band of movie stars, filming what appears to parody Francis Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now,” are dropped in the middle of the jungle by their director in attempt to make the actors live out the plot line, thus bringing out their most creative acting. The characters are fictional celebrities within the movie, and they serve as satirical forms of behind the scenes celebrity culture. Chip Sullivan, a DreamWorks spokesman, said the movie was “an R-rated comedy that satirizes Hollywood and its excesses and makes its point by featuring inappropriate and over-the-top characters in ridiculous situations” (Wynter). Twentieth century celebrity culture dissects how the idea of fame has become an obsession, and how the entity of “celebrity” is a manufactured product. “Tropic Thunder” satirizes the actions of the movie-making industry and its players. Here’s proof in the official trailer:

First, “Tropic Thunder” satirizes fame and celebrity culture, and how they are portrayed within the media. “Tropic Thunder” shows how the publicity industry “focuses attention on the worthy and unworthy alike” (Gamson 2). Tugg Speedman’s (Ben Stiller) career as an actor is on the decline. Throughout the film, there are references to his declining celebrity, and the need for the movie to do well or he may never work again. In a mock interview with Speedman from the movie, Tyra Banks: “You have no real family, you’re on the wrong side of forty, and you’re childless and alone. Someone close to you said ‘one more flop and its over’.” This is an attempt to focus on the unworthy within the public eye.

Second, “Tropic Thunder” satirizes the business of the movie making industry. “Power was in the hands of studios, which were firmly committed to a mass production system. Movie manufacturers adapted the star system to the industry’s needs” (Gamson 5). This is obvious within “Tropic Thunder,” the plot line calls for the kidnapping of Tugg Speedman by drug-traffickers for a one-hundred million dollar ransom, to be paid by his studio. Because his career is on the decline, and because major studios often see their ‘stars’ as commodities, products, or business investments, Les Grossman (Tom Cruise) the head of Speedman’s studio consider’s not paying the ransom and letting Speedman die. Here’s what happens first, followed by the dialogue:

Rick Peck: Now let me get this straight. You want me to let my client of 15 years, one of my best friends, die in the jungle alone, for some money and a G5?

Les Grossman: Yes

Rick Peck: A G5 airplane?

Les Grossman: Yes… and lots of money… playaaaa!

Obviously this is a stretch of what business policies made by major movie production companies may be concerning their clients/products, but it is satirical in that these conglomerates can ‘kill’ the career of any one of their stars at any minute if they believe it is a better decision for their business.

“In the Winter of 1969, an elite force of the US Army was sent on a top secret assignment in Southeast Vietnam. The objective: rescue Sgt. Four Leaf Tayback from a heavily guarded NVA Prison Camp. The mission was considered to be near-suicide. Of the ten men sent, four returned. Of those four, three wrote books about what happened. Of those three, two were published. And of those two, only one got a movie deal. This is the story of the men who attempted to make that movie.” Viewers can see that from the opening line of “Tropic Thunder,” they are in for a sarcastic and satirical representation of the movie-making process.

Gamson, Joshua. “The Assembly Line of Greatness: Celebrity in Twentieth-Century America.” Cultural Studies in Mass Communication 9 (1992), 1-24.

Wynter, Kareen. “Tropic Thunder pushes envelope and then some.” Cnn.com/entertainment.     2008. 2 November, 2009.             <http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/08/11/tropic.thunder/index.html>

Su gran éxito, “Shrek” (2001), colocó a Dreamworks en situación de entrar en competencia con las producciones animadas de Pixar. “Shrek 2″, pareció confirmarlo, pero esa apreciación se fue eclipsando con títulos posteriores, y las secuelas de la afamada “Shrek”.

“El espantatiburones” (2004) o “Monstruos contra Alienígenas” (2009), no han aportado mucha gloria a la compañía”, y aunque “Madagascar” (2005 y 2008) y “Kung Fu Panda” (2008), han conseguido un cierto éxito, ninguno ha sido comparable a las dos protagonizadas por el ogro de la charca.

Ahora vuelve a intentarlo con otro título: “Como entrenar a tu dragón”.

La película adapta el libro de Cressida Cowell y cuenta la historia de un vikingo adolescente, Hiccup, que vive en una isla llamada Berk, en donde la lucha contra dragones forma parte de la vida de su tribu. La iniciación de Hiccup se aproxima, y es cuando será el momento de demostrar su valía ante el poblado y ante su padre. Pero al encontrarse con un dragón herido, y hacerse amigo de el, todo su mundo cambia.

El trailer nos presenta a los principales protagonistas anticipándonos algo sobre su relación y aventuras.

¿Será otro gran éxito, o pasará sin dejar gran huella?

A partir del 26 de marzo del año próximo, fecha en que se estrenará en USA, y también en España, lo sabremos. 

-

Swanson 

Shrek é um musical de David Lindsay-Abaire com músicas de Jeanine Tesori e é baseado no livro de William Steig lançado em 1990, que virou filme em 2001 (wow!).

Com estréia em 14/12/2008 na Broadway, o musical foi indicado a 8 Tony Awards, vencendo o de melhor figurino. Também foi indicado a 12 Drama Desk Awards, vencendo 3.

Com uma temporada de menos de 2 anos, o musical encerra as apresentações dia 03/01/2010 devido a falta de público. Há boatos que a DreamWorks está produzindo um DVD com a peça na íntegra, que deve ser lançado em meados de 2010.

Pra quem não conhece a trilha sonora, posso dizer que é simplesmente incrível! Eu pensava que o musical mais feliz da Broadway atual fosse Hairspray mas as músicas de Shrek são contagiantes e super animadas.

Clique aqui pra ouvir a música I’m a Believer gravada pelo elenco original.

ELENCO ORIGINAL:
Brian d’Arcy James – Shrek
Sutton Foster – Princesa Fiona
Christopher Sieber – Lorde Farquaad
Daniel Breaker – Burro
John Tartaglia – Pinoquio, Espelho Mágico e Dragãozinho

Site Oficial: www.shrekthemusical.com

Note: This entry may include spoilers after the break so if you don’t want to know about the movie, don’t read beyond “SPOILER ALERT!”

Sometime last week, Ann got an e-mail from MovieTickets.com about a free, pre-release screening of a DreamWorks movie “from the people who brought you Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar.” So being we had nothing to do today and it was free, we went ahead and signed up to go.

Unlike most movie screenings, this one wasn’t in Hollywood but in beautiful, downtown Brea. (I’m being facetious, folks.) Had we known there wasn’t a freeway close to the damn city so we would have taken the streets to the place, which is exactly what we did on the way home.

When we arrived, there was already a group of people waiting to get in since seating was on a first-come, first-served basis. While waiting outside the theater, people from the Nielsen survey company gave us questionnaires asking us about our movie viewing habits: what we’d seen, what we’d want to see, if we prefer 3D or traditional, etc. We also got wristbands upon entry to show the rest of the moviegoers we were more specialer than they were.

As indicated in the e-mail invitation, there were quite a few stipulations for this event, including:

• Being accompanied by a child between 6-11 since it was an animated feature
• You couldn’t be or appear to be intoxicated or under the influence of drugs (?)
• Cameras, cell phones with cameras or any type of recording devices were not permitted and those caught trying to record would be removed and subject to criminal charges
• Attendees were subject to a physical search of their belongings and person

Remember that this was a first screening so it was serious business and as such, extensive security measures were taken, including all participants having to walk through a metal detector. There was also a guy in the theater with night vision binoculars so he could spy on the audience while the movie was showing. His stoicism and appearance reminded us of Crazy Steve from Drake and Josh, a guy that could go off at any second and for any reason.

Before the movie started, the Nielsen people scanned the crowd for potential post-movie interviewees who would have a chance to speak with the makers of the movie/studio suits and give their opinion. It kind of reminded me of the “Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie” episode of The Simpsons where the kids were taken into a room and shown potential new characters: “Would you kids like to come with me?”

Once picked, they took the names of everybody in the group and from the looks of it, they already knew who they wanted to talk to: families of four with a boy of at least 8 years of age, so unfortunately we didn’t make the cut. That’s too bad because I would have liked to give them some input.

Finally, once all the seats were filled and interviewees finalized, the title was revealed: How to Train Your Dragon, yet another movie based on a children’s book, because Lord knows we haven’t had enough of those lately.

SPOILER ALERT! If you don’t want to know more about the movie, don’t read beyond this point!

I know I’ve dragged this one long enough up to now, so let’s get to the point.

What we was was a work in progress, meaning it was made up of the following:

• Completed animation
• Pre-animation and pre-texture stage, so the backgrounds were empty and character movements (mouth, legs, etc.) were limited or non-existent
• Original storyboard drawings
• It was not in 3D as the final release will be

Not to give up too much of the movie’s story, here’s what I took away from it. Just remember that your ol’ pal Dave has studied screenwriting and understands the formula a little more than Joe Moviegoer.

(Note: I have since decided to remove the details of the movie so as not to possibly taint it once released. Not like my blog would have a huge influence on anybody but I figure that if this were my movie, I’d want to keep it under wraps until everything was in the can. My overall opinion, however, remains the same and has not been removed.)

About 2/3 into the movie, Anthony wanted to go home which was a good indication that it wasn’t keeping his attention. He did the same thing for Monsters vs. Aliens but loved Mr. Bean’s Holiday–go figure. But he wasn’t the only one who wasn’t that impressed: the family next to us left about 20 minutes into the movie.

We were given yet another questionnaire afterward and yep, I was pretty thorough in my opinion of the movie.

Overall, it seemed a bit too long and there were a few scenes I think could have been deleted since they didn’t really move the story along. Even so, chances are I would see it once it’s released to the general public because a) it will be in 3D, and b) I’d love to see what made the final cut.

And my disappointment for not being picked for a post-movie interview was all for naught as I overheard one of the Nielsen people tell one of the families that the interviews were canceled. Remember when I said I thought it was too long? Well, there was another screening about 30 minutes after this one so I’m guessing there wasn’t time to get in-depth opinions.

With a little work, I think this movie could be much better but as for now, it was good…just not excellent, like the first Shrek movie.

So there’s my opinion. At any rate, here’s the trailer for How to Train Your Dragon, due in March 2010.

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