48 Frames Per Second - HFR revisited

TheOneRing.net directed me to this blog by Pulitzer-prize-winning still photographer Vincent Laforet. He saw The Hobbit three times. Once in HFR 3D, once in normal 3D, and once in 2D. His thoughts on the different projections types and the effect they have are fascinating and well worth the read. I had a chance to catch The Hobbit in 2D on Monday, and it is a better movie in that format. Many of my original complaints seemed less significant. The opening was easier to follow and the story was more immersive, even though it was the second time I'd seen the movie, while Azog's CGI was less noticeable. Official recommendation: See The Hobbit at 24fps. 2D or 3D is up to you. Afterwords, if you're still interested, check out the HFR, but don't see that version first. Regardless of what Peter Jackson and James Cameron think, this isn't going to be the future of cinema any time soon.

The Long Expected Hobbit

Martin Freeman is a perfect Bilbo Baggins

It has finally come. The long-awaited prequel to Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy has made it through years of development and hit theaters in a brand new 48 frames-per-second 3D format. The original films rank among my favorite of all time, and I grew up with an audiobook of The Hobbit, so this is a story and world I'm familiar with. I'm not alone in this, so the film is landing with tremendous expectations. Added to that, this time around Jackson and company have decided to split a short novel into three long films. After the jump, I'll take a look at how this has worked our.

Richard Armitage is Thorin Okanshield

First, I should take a minute to talk about the high frame rate (HFR). HFR is weird. It's as jarring as the introduction of 3D, and in a film like The Hobbit, it's hard to say either technology adds anything. I will say HFR compliments 3D. Action in 3D tends to be jerky, and HFR smooths that out. Unfortunately, it speeds everything else up, so action looks great and people look weird until you get used to it. Of the people I saw the film with, one didn't even notice the difference, and most of the others said they got used to HFR after 15 or so minutes. I took over an hour before I was completely adjusted. I get the feeling that after seeing a few HFR movies, it's not going to be an issue, but I don't think The Hobbit was the best place to introduce the format. The film itself has a few issues and doesn't need the complaints HFR is going to generate. I mean, here I want to write a review of the movie and get sidetracked by the frame rate.

Now, on to the actual movie. Below there be spoilers.

'Man of Steel' trailer shows off moody Superman

Here's a full-length trailer for Zach Synder's take on Superman. Snyder is responsible for the visually spectacular Sucker Punch, as well as the comic-based 300 and Watchmen. I actually liked Sucker Punch, though it certainly had problems. However, this time around, DC has Christopher (Dark Knight) Nolan producing, and it's definitely given the movie a dark and brooding feel. I'm just not sure that's a good thing. There's not enough Amy Adams here, that's for sure. Of course, it's too early to tell what any of this means, but it's unfortunate this trailer doesn't have the same "F*** Yeah," quality seen in last week's Star Trek Into Darkness trailer. Also, there's a shot-by-shot breakdown over on io9.

Cumberbatch!

The first teaser for Star Trek Into Darkness is here. I've written before about my love of the previous film from JJ Abrams so I'm looking forward to this one. Not to mention the fact that it has added one of the best actors with the absolute best name in show business: Benedict Cumberbatch. I really hope there's a blu-ray special feature at some point of Chris Pine shouting "CUMBERBATCH!!!" with his best Shatner impression. That's all I need from this film. Also, there's a Japanese version of this teaser with an extra fifteen (count 'um, FIFTEEN) seconds of footage. Check it out.

Captain America Winter Soldier Updates

Here newest news on the Captain America sequel, along with my speculation of what it all means. There may be spoilers, but anything I'm going to say is based off the comics, not any actual knowledge of the film's script. Click ahead to read it.

Jurassic Park 3D is coming soon

The poster for the 3D conversion of Jurassic Park is here, and it looks good. It'll open on April 5 next year. Off all the 3D conversions queued up over the next few years, this is the one I'm most looking forward to. As I've said before, it's one of my all time favorite films, and Steven Spielberg has said Jurassic Park was the only one of his films he'd want to see converted. Plus, this is Universal's way to generate some buzz for the long awaited Jurassic Park 4. So far, writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (from Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes), and producer Frank Marshall are on board. While Kathleen Kennedy has confirmed that the film won't be a reboot and will continue the continuity of the previous films.

Election is a victory for Math

Well, the election has proven one thing. Nate Silver was right. Regardless of political leanings, it's telling to see how many pundits ignored the actual numbers to make their predictions.

Disney buys Lucasfilm, new Star Wars in 2015

Well this just exploded the internet (At least the parts that Sandy hasn't knocked out). Disney has just acquired Lucasfilm for around $4 billion in cash and stock, and they're planning on releasing Star Wars: Episode VII in 2015, with additional films every 2-3 year. $4 billion is about the same pricetag Disney paid for Marvel Studios three years ago, and less than the $7 billion Disney paid to buy Pixar. This is the kind of news that makes you think it must be April Fools Day, but it's been confirmed on Disney's blog, and it's all over the news and Twitter is having a field day. Some fans are probably going to wish Star Wars would be left alone, but the Clone Wars isn't half bad and the toys just keep selling. George Lucas will serve as a creative consultant for the new films, while longtime Steven Spielberg collaborator Kathleen Kennedy will take over as President of Lucasfilm. I have mixed feeling, but I'm generally optimistic. More Star Wars films were absolutely inevitable, and the quality is all going to come down to script, director and cast. Fresh blood may be just what Star Wars needs. Too bad Joss Whedon isn't available.

The Bale Method

A few months ago I had the opportunity to participate in a short film directed by old theater acquaintance Joseph Lambert. We had a blast making it, so you should definitely check it out. It's a deep and thoughtful journey into the actors' psyche. And it's totally serious. I swear.

Tony Stark's world burns in the trailer for Iron Man 3

Released this morning on Apple Trailers, here's the first trailer for next summer's start to Marvel's Phase 2 films. It classic Shane Black style, it opens with falling snow, a detail celebrated by long-time Iron Man comic writer Matt Fraction. We get our first looks at the new Iron Man suit, plus Iron Patriot, and glimpses of Rebecca Hall and Guy Pierce. Also, Tony vs Iron Man? What? And then an evil bearded Ben Kingsley shows up and blows stuff up. You can watch the trailer at Apple here, and check out the new poster for the film. Edit: I would do screencaps, but ComicBookMovie already did.

Marvel going all out Iron Patriot

It looks like Marvel is re-launching the Iron Patriot across all three of their universes. Early set photos from the filming of Iron Man 3 first revealed the character, which was revealed at ComicCon this summer to be the new look for Don Cheadle's War Machine. For those not aware, Iron Patriot (think Iron Man with a Captain America paint-job) initially debuted in the comics during the Dark Reign storyline as Norman Osborn (aka, the Green Goblin, it's a long story). Of course, the film rights to Osborn belong to Sony along with Spider-man, so that particular story won't be appearing on film, and thus the spangled armor has been passed to War Machine. Not only that, but it appears Iron Patriot is getting a comic makeover as well.

Community will be back on Oct. 19... just not today

Well, here you have it. Community was scheduled to return to air today, but the powers that be have decided that won't be the case. Troy and Abed are here to explain that October 19th is a state of mind. Also a state of mind: Shows on NBC.

Breaking news: Coulson lives!

Just announced at New York Comic Con, Clark Gregg, AKA Phil Coulson will be starring in Joss Whedon's S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series for Marvel and ABC. (Spoilers for The Avengers. Highlight to read:)This means his dramatic death at Loki's hands, which was a major turning point of the film, has been overturned. This seems like a cop-out, but I think it's a good thing, and was probably planned ahead of time. It emphasizes Nick Fury's manipulation of the Avengers, setting them up to break away from S.H.I.E.L.D. and set up Civil War film. Gregg's character was a fan favorite from the Marvel films, going so far as to be added to the comics and Ultimate Spider-man cartoon. Meanwhile, casting descriptions of the other agents were leaked a few days ago. Anyway, heck yeah, Coulson lives. (Source: ComicBookResources).

My Favorite Moments from The Avengers

In celebration of The Avengers release on DVD and Blu-Ray, here's a blog about the movie that set the opening weekend domestic record. Joss Whedon and Marvel have turned in one of the best comic book movies ever, and I suspect that whether you pick it over or after Spider-man 2 or The Dark Knight depends more on your preference for the heroes involved. Personally, I can only say The Avengers was the greatest movie I have seen in years. Whedon crafted a script filled with humor and the all-important "F*** Yeah" moments that superhero movies thrive on. More importantly, the film lets every character shine, and that, more than anything, is what makes The Avengers work. This is a movie about a team, and not any one character. After the jump, I'll take a spoiler-filled look at my favorite scenes from my #1 movie this year.

Spoilers follow, but it's out DVD so you should have seen it by now.

The second trailer for The Hobbit!

Here's the second trailer for The Hobbit: A Unexpected Journey and it shows off the Trolls and Wargs and Goblins and so much good stuff. Seriously, it looks like there's plenty here to fill a whole movie, making me a lot more comfortable with the whole three movie decision. Can't wait for December!

Ultimates #16 makes Cap President

There will be spoilers in this post. Today's news reinforces why I read Ultimate Comics. Marvel revealed that Sam Humphries Ultimates series will see Captain America become President of the United States in next week's issue #16. Like killing Peter Parker, this is the type of event that couldn't happen in any mainstream continuity (also, Superman couldn't be POTUS. See: Birth Certificate). In Ultimates #9, a human bomb exploded on the floor of Congress, destroying most of Washington DC. Meanwhile, anti-mutant sentinels and militias tore the Southwest apart and the West Coast formed an independent state, leaving the new President's work cut out for him. Comic Book Resources has a preview of the interior pages, and I love the press is calling him President Cap. Of course this raises a lot of questions. Will he keep Carol Danvers as Chief of Staff? Will Tony Stark finally get to be Secretary of Defense? Anyway, if you want to catch up on the newsest run of the Ultimates, the first two volumes are out in trades: Volume 1 and Volume 2.
Update: The Washington Post has an article worth checking out.

Joss Whedon signed for Avengers 2

I don't think there's much doubt that a big part of The Avengers success was due to writer/director Joss Whedon's handling of the characters and lovingly comic sensibilities. Well now the good news is he's going to back for Avengers 2, but it gets even better (at least for Marvel). Marvel has Whedon signed to an exclusive contract for film and television through June 2015. This suggests that Avengers 2 will be landing in May 2015. Whedon will also be developing a Marvel TV series for ABC to be set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Whedon's work on Avengers was fantastic, it's his work on TV series like Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer that have cemented his place is so many geek hearts. Whedon's return is great news for a few reasons. Among these are Whedon's comments that he'd like more female characters, so here's hoping for Carol Danvers to put in an appearance, and also more time for Hawkeye as something other than a meet puppet. More at /Film and io9.

Hobbit gets an extra film

Following up what seemed an off-hand comment at this year's ComicCon, Peter Jackson has announced that The Hobbit will in fact become three movies, instead of the originally planned two. This means The Hobbit will get as much screen time as the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. I've made so secret of my love for those films, so this is exciting news, but I'm not sure just how PJ and company are going to manage to stretch this out. TheOneRing.net has a few ideas and NewLine has begun to register domain names that hint at possible titles for the next film. Of course, we'll know a lot more in December when An Unexpected Journey finally hits theaters.

Comic Review: Captain Marvel #1

Wednesday saw the release of issue #1 of Marvel's new Captain Marvel series, which sees former Ms. Marvel Carol Danvers take over the Captain Marvel name (like my previous post about the Ultimates, I'm aware of just how many times I'm using the word 'Marvel'). Technically, the new and improved Carol premiered last week in Avenging Spider-man #9, but this is the first issue that Carol gets all to herself (though Captain America and Spider-man do put in guest appearances). Writer Kelly Sue DeConnick has created a much more confident, self-assured version of Carol than appeared in the character's previous Ms. Marvel series. Now, neither Marvel or DeConnick would ever admit that this new book was in any way an answer to the problems DC faced with female characters in their New 52 line. Still, this new version of Carol Danvers--without "Ms." in the title and a uniform that shows less skin--is obviously designed as a hero rather than another sexy comic book woman. And I think that's great, because more so than ever, it looks like the new Captain Marvel is going to be one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Breaking: Anthony Mackie to play Falcon in Winter Soldier

On the heels of ComicCon, the Hollywood Reporter has the news that Hurt Locker and Adjustment Bureau star Anthony Mackie is in negotiations to play Falcon in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Mackie had previously expressed interest in the Black Panther role, but with that film not on the immediate horizon for Marvel, it seems talks have shifted. The Falcon, real name Sam Wilson, has been a supporting character in Captain America comics since he was introduced in 1969. The Falcon was significant in being the first African-American superhero in mainstream comics (Black Panther was a native African), as well the first black superhero not have the word "Black" in his name. Falcon played a major role in Ed Brubaker's Winter Soldier storyline, soit won't be a surprise to see the character appear in the film.
In Marvel's mainstream universe, Falcon is a reformed criminal with the ability to telepathically communicate with birds. Meanwhile, his Ultimate universe counterpart is a genius SHIELD scientist. On film, I expect him fall more in line with the Ultimate version, the same treatment Hawkeye received in The Avengers.

Ultimate Falcon

Mainstream Falcon

ComicCon updates: Iron Man 3, Winter Soldier, Ant Man, Thor 2 and Rocket Raccoon!

Big news from Marvel's Iron Man 3 panel at ComicCon yesterday. The biggest for me? The Captain America sequel has been officially titled Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Meanwhile, Thor's sequel has been subtitled The Dark World, which tells considerably less about the film's plot. Iron Man's new Extremis armor has been revealed and speculation regarding the villain has been confirmed. Guardians of the Galaxy will indeed be the second 2014 Marvel film, and Edgar Wright showed off Ant-Man test footage, though there's still no release date. Details and my thoughts are all after the jump.

They made a LEGO Bag End!

Bag End is arguably the single most recognizable location from Middle Earth. Both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit begin and end on its doorstep. And now from ComicCon, TheOneRing.net brings us an exclusive look at the Lego version. Click on the image for a fantastic hi-res look at Bilbo's Unexpected Party and the hold in the ground in which lives a Hobbit.

Item 47 and Iron Man 3 concept art

In preparation for ComicCon, Marvel has released some official concept art from Iron Man 3. Here it is, Tony Stark wearing just a couple parts of his armor. It looks like the heavy gold color scheme is going to be in for this movie after all, and based on this image, Stark is going to be shifting toward the modular armor that probably leads toward Extremis. The common rumor is this: Based on Captain America's quote from The Avengers ("Just a big man in a suit of armor, take that away and what are you?") Stark turns to nano-technology to make himself more than a man in a suit, and interfaces himself directly with his armor.

Meanwhile, the first still and synopsis has been revealed Marvel's next short, premiering with The Avengers Blu-ray in September. According to Entertainment Weekly, the short features Lizzy Caplan and Jesse Bradford as a couple who find a Chitauri guns from the finale of The Avengers and proceed to make some bad decisions that cause S.H.I.E.L.D. to step in. Of course, Agent Coulson won't be the star, but there's always a chance on of these new characters could turn out to be a key player in the Marvel cinematic universe. 

Iron Man 3, Thor 2, and more movies and comics

Iron Man 3 just started filming, and here's everything you need to know about it. Also, updates on Thor 2 and beyond. Other studios are moving on. Also, GI Joe 2 got moved, supposedly for 3D conversion. but there could be a different reason. It's all after the jump, and depending on the validity of certain rumors just might contain spoilers.

Trailer for the new Hawkeye origin... er, Bourne movie

This August, Jeremy Renner takes over the Bourne franchise from Matt Damon. Check out the trailer, which also feature former Bruce Banner Ed Norton. And I'm serious, barring an actual origin movie for Hawkeye, this will work just fine (interviews have suggested the Marvel Cinematic Universe has ditched the whole circus origin for the character). I've heard a few people say he was lamest of the Avengers, and admittedly he doesn't have the super powers of his other teammates, but I defy you to watch any of the Bourne or Bond movies and tell me those guys aren't superheroes. So next time you watch the Avengers, just remember: Hawkeye is this kind of superhero. And when you watch Bourne Legacy, just remember that it's most likely that this is how the movie version of Hawkeye came to exist. Heck, it's not even much of a stretch to imagine that Rachel Wiesz is Barbara Morse.

It's the "No duh" move of the week!

In a move that everyone totally saw coming, Disney CEO announced the development of ‘The Avengers 2′ (via /Film) As the film runs away with box office records, is anyone surprised by this? Anyone? By the way, I'll be putting up a review eventually, but what do you expect? I loved the movie, and it's my favorite of the year.

'via Blog this'

Cabin In The Woods is awesome

Last weekend, I had the good sense to check out Cabin In The Woods, the new horror movie from Cloverfield writer Drew Goddard and the legendary Joss Whedon. Cabin was one the films plunged into limbo by the financial crisis at MGM, that has now managed to reach multiplexes. The trailers promised it would be more than your run-of-the-mill slasher pic, and for once, they didn't lie.

Cabin neatly lines up every horror archetype. The slutty girl, the jock (played by the Norse God of Thunder himself, Chris Hemsworth), the funny guy (Dollhouse's Fran Kranz) the nerd, and the good girl. Throw these characters into a creepy cabin in the middle of titular woods, and you have every horror movie ever. And that's the point. Over the 95 minute run time, Goddard and Whedon effectively skewer and affirm every trope of the horror genre, with enough twists, turns, and screams to keep you on the edge of your seat. I can't say much without giving anything away, even the trailers spoil several key beats of the film if you pay close attention to them.

Overall, it's my top film of the year, beating out The Hunger Games, although I doubt it'll hold the spot for long with The Avengers less than two weeks away.

Second G.I. Joe: Retaliation trailer shows the evil president

Here's the second trailer for G.I. Joe: Retaliation. It continues to look infinitely better than the first film, which was enjoyably dumb. This looks enjoyably awesome. Plus: Ninjas!

Marvel movie news

Hey, so The Avengers is coming out soon. You know what that means? Let look at what's coming out after. There's a few bits of news about upcoming Marvel superhero movies that have trickled out over the last few weeks. There are a ton of interviews from the set of The Avengers, along with a myriad of TV spots and couple of new clips.

Watch the first scene from The Avengers!

Here's the first official clip from The Avengers, and it features Scarlett Johanssen's Black Widow at her most Whedonesque. It's all smart dialogue and martial arts action. The Avengers is just weeks away.

Japanese Avengers Trailer shows off the Helicarrier

Check out our first look at the Helicarrier at 1:40, plus it's the first time we've seen Hawkeye and Maria Hill speak.

The Avengers: Now with more in-fighting and Scarlett Johansson

The second full-length trailer for The Avengers was released this morning, along with a this new poster that came out yesterday. It's an iTunes exclusive, so you'll have to head over there to watch it until Marvel puts it up on YouTube and I can embed it. A lot of the action is stuff from the Super Bowl spot, but that's hardly what matters. This trailer finally gives a sense of the way Joss Whedon is going to handle the team dynamic, and that, as promised, is going to be just like a family. So we have siblings fighting, mom and dad disapproving, and some weird Arrested Development-style cousin stuff. Basically, it's brilliant. There's a lot more of Scarlett Johanssen and Colbie Smulders' Maria Hill finally makes an appearance. Of course I did more screen grabs, so they are in HD after the jump.

2012 Academy Awards [Updated]

I'll be update this later in the evening, or you can check out my Twitter feed. Mostly, I'm excited that Billy Crystal is back to host. Despite claims he isn't "relevant" to younger viewers, I just have to argue that you're underestimating the impact Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally have had on... well, everyone.

But... [Update]

It turns out Billy Crystal wasn't the solution to Oscars problems. In fact, the night was generally boring. When Meryl Streep winning is the biggest surprise of the night, there's a serious problem. And I don't know anyone that has seen The Artist.

Here's a list of the winners from /Film. Mostly it's the expected Academy stuff. The only serious issue I have is Hugo beating Rise of the Planet of the Apes for Visual Effects.

The Phantom Menace

I went to see the 3D re-release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace last week. I don't personally hate the film with the vehemence that some fans do, and I don't think it's the worst film in the Star Wars series. However, as I sat through the film, I couldn't help think it would be seriously improved by a little cutting (midichlorians), and few story changes. Well, here's a video which lays out roadmap for the film that might have been (thanks to io9 for the heads up). Anyway, in regards to the 3D Phantom Menace, it was about what I expected. The parts that were good (the Podrace, Darth Maul) looked good, and the things that weren't didn't get better. 

Week Links: X-Men, Fantastic 4, and more

Okay, it's been a while since I put up some links, so here's a collection from the past month or so. In other news, my list of 2012 movies is up. Chronicle takes first place on the list, as being a great take on the superhero origin story. Red Tails features a bunch of awesome dogfights and... well, that's about all. Meanwhile, Underworld: Awakening was filled with "meh." Also, Haywire was all about a concept, but other than the fact that it starred a woman, was simply a totally generic Bourne rip-off.

Avengers at the Super Bowl

One of my first posts on this blog was last year's Super Bowl trailer for Captain America, so it's only fitting that I bring you this awesome spot for The Avengers. Actually this is an extended version of the spot, so it's twice as awesome.

Unlike the first trailer, we finally get a glimpse of what the Avengers are going to be fighting... which looks a bunch of random aliens, but still, twice as much action, including full-blown Hulkage. There was a 10-second tease for this released a few days ago, but I don't really approve of teasers for spots that aren't even trailers. Check out some screencaps after the jump.

2012 Film List

I'll update this as I see more, and I've been known to change my mind, but here's how things are currently looking for 2012.

20 movies I want to see 2012

Last year, I through up a list of the 20 films I most anticipated over the year, and it proved a handy guide to refer to over the course of the year.

Academy Award Nominations

The 84th Academy Award Nominations have been announced. You can see the whole list here. I've seen four of the nine Best Picture Nominees, and I'll try to catch some of the others before the ceremony on February 26th. Meanwhile, I'm surprised to see Steven Spielberg left off the list for Best Director, but glad to see Woody Allen there. I'm looking forward to seeing Billy Crystal host a ceremony with Allen and Martin Scorsese in the audience. Oh, and somehow, Tintin didn't even get a nomination for Best Animated Picture, yet somehow Kung Fu Panda 2 did. That makes no sense to me. Anyway, you can see how I ranked the films here.

It's LEGOlas!

I'm mostly without power due to snow and ice storms in the Pacific Northwest, so I won't be blogging much. Here, in the few minutes that I'm connected to a generator, is another teaser poster from LEGO, featuring Legolas from The Two Towers. You can see his hairpiece adds the molded elf ears. Based on the poster, I'd guess this figure will be appearing in the Helm's Deep set, so if you want a LEGO version of Orlando Bloom, you can pick this up or try to find one of the Pirates of the Caribbean sets.
[from TheOneRing.net]

The noteworthy parts of 2011

It's time for the first post to begin the recap of the previous year. Last year, I didn't start this until February, so I'm actually getting a jump on the subject. Overall, it was quite the year for me. I graduated from school, I've gotten back into theater. Haven't written as much as I'd like, but it's a new year and that's going to change. Below, you can read all about my favorite movie, the biggest surprise, the biggest disappointment, the best rumor,the best news, and the best trailer of 2011 movie year.

Week Links: Posters, Thor, and more

Still working on the 2011 recaps, so don't worry about that. So this week, it's another collection of links. There're more pictures from The Avengers, a couple pieces of news from Thor 2, a new promo for The Amazing Spider-Man, and a few other pieces of non-superhero movies news, including a film version of one of my favorite musicals. Also, I got a chance to see Martin Scorsese's Hugo, since its star is going to be playing Ender's Game, and I'd heard the 3D was actually well done. Turns out it was pretty good movie (#11 for 2011), though I had some trouble with the tone. Hugo was clearly made as a celebration of film, and made great use of 3D in juxtaposition to the works of Georges Méliès, but it jumped from fantastic to historic and back. Also, Hugo is a family film, so it's a little strange to see from Scorsese, but now I'm waiting to see him make a Departed-style film in 3D. He seems to understand the format better than most other directors, so you will believe you are being splattered in blood! Everything else is after the jump.

Waiting at the starting gate

I'm currently delaying any recap of the 2011 film slate until I can see Steven Spielberg's War Horse. Meanwhile, I've seen Tintin, Darkest Hour, and Sherlock Holmes. They're on the list, which is almost complete. Meanwhile, here's a couple pieces of news, and this picture of Thor and Captain America from The Avengers.