A look at movies, especially films based on books (Yes that includes comics); Opinions, facts, movie charts, production news and, when possible a look at the movies VS their source material. I may also champion books I've read that really should be movies. I've also used it to display the unedited versions of my blogs for SyFy; (The sci-fi channel UK website.)Feel free to let me know about any stories that you think deserve the big screen treatment.
TheRealEverton
This is a part of the pretty cool viral marketing for
Pacific Rim, ahead of the trailer debut in 14 days. So hard to believe it has
been 4 years since Del Toro last directed a film: mostly because his version of
The Hobbit was so delayed by legal hassles he had to hand it back to Peter
Jackson. Hellboy 2 was brilliant piece of entertainment and (Hellboy 3 please)
I’m very much looking forward his next film. Pacific Rim stars Idris Elba and
should be out everywhere in summer 2013.
So after months of torrid speculation, you heard it here
7,200,721st! Bryan Singer isn’t the only person from the “original”
X-Men film returning. The director will have his 2 leading mutants, the Malcolm
X & Martin Luther King of Mutant kind (it’s a very loose analogy OK) , acting
in the same films as James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. That’s some pretty
heavyweight talent right there. Bryan Singer confirmed the news via Twitter
(where else in 2012 eh?)
“I’d like to officially welcome back
James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender and Nicholas Hoult to
X-Men: Days Of Future Past. Also thrilled to announce Sir Ian Mckellen and Sir
Patrick Stewart.”
I simply cannot wait; So in the same way that The Avengers
is and isn’t sequel to the previous 5 Marvel Studios’ films; Fox’s X-Men: Days of
Future Past IS a sequel to X-Men: First Class and Is / Isn’t a sequel to X3 –
oh and is / isn’t a prequel to The Wolverine. Confused yet?…
Here’s the first look at the trailer for next year’s adaptation
of Cassandra Clare’s best-selling novel. I'm sure there will be the usual cries
about this not being a 100% “original concept” (like there are so many of those
around) but as always this is a story with a sizable fan-base and we shall see
if the film(s) work or not.
Synopsis…
“Set in contemporary New York City, a seemingly ordinary
teenager, Clary Fray (Lily Collins), discovers she is the descendant of a line
of Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of young half-angel warriors locked in an
ancient battle to protect our world from demons. After the disappearance of her
mother (Lena Headey), Clary must join forces with a group of Shadowhunters, who
introduce her to a dangerous alternate New York called Downworld, filled with
demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves and other deadly creatures. Based on the
worldwide best-selling book series.”
In a move that mirrors the promotion for both The Dark
Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, Paramount will show the 9 minutes from the
start of the eagerly awaited sequel on the 14th of December. Star
Trek Into Darkness is not due out until next summer. Just like Christopher
Nolan’s Batman films, several sequences in the new Star Trek film have been
shot using 3D IMAX cameras: In fact the Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed
Entertainment, Greg Foster, said…
“Their use of the IMAX Camera and canvas is sure to impress
current and future Star Trek fans alike, and we’re thrilled to once again work
with our friends at Paramount Pictures to offer this extended ‘first look’ at
this highly anticipated summer blockbuster.”
Cumberbatch & Quinto's characters are not getting on..
Star Trek Into Darkness returns all of the principal cast
and crew from the successful restart / semi-reboot of the film series. Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) joins Chris Pine
(Unstoppable), Zachery Quinto (Heroes, Margin Call), Simon Pegg (Spaced,
Mission Impossible 4), Karl Urban (Lord Of The Rings), Zoe Saldana(Avatar),
John Cho (Harold & Kumar 1-3), Bruce Greenwood (I, Robot) and Anton Yelchin
(Terminator 4). Thefilm opens around the world from the 16th of May
2013.
As long as video games continue to grow in popularity, and
to increase their own individual mythologies, the film adaptations will
continue. There’s debate as to how good any of these have been so far, but what
is not in question is that the Resident Evil films continue to be good global
box office; not to mention a Bastian for tough female action heroes. With
fellow Brit Michael Fassbender preparing to star I an Assassins’ Creed film, Tom
Hardy (Inception, Warrior, and The Dark Knight Rises) has very good odds of
starring in a quality video game film as Splinter Cell is being written by Eric
Singer (The International.) Hardy would play Sam Fisher, one of those special secret ‘covert ops’ types who does what nobody else can.
Very quick this time, I’m looking forward to this. Sam Raimi
(The Evil Dead, Spider-Man 1-3) brings us the tale of how the Great and
Powerful Oz ended up over the rainbow.
Synopsis…
“Disney's fantastical adventure "Oz The Great and
Powerful," directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum's
beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a
small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty
Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot--fame and
fortune are his for the taking--that is until he meets three witches, Theodora
(Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are
not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly
drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar
must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his
magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity--and even a bit of
wizardry--Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard
of Oz but into a better man as well.”
This has always sounded like it was going to be good, and it
looks better with every video they release. This more detailed trailer
continues to build excitement for the latest adaptation of the classic book / musical.
Synopsis…
“Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les
Miserables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love,
passion, sacrifice and redemption--a timeless testament to the survival of the
human spirit. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the
ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees
to care for factory worker Fantine's (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their
lives change forever.”
From the trailer the impression is that this is likely to be
a very loose adaptation of Max Brooks’ novel. In another evolution of the
screen Zombie these seem to be an evolution of the 28 days later kind. Of
course there’s room for all kinds, although The Walking Dead is undisputedly
the king of screen Zombies, even if it is small screen.
It’s hard to believe that this film is coming up on 20 years
old. It is definitely one of those watershed films that changed cinema, and
television, forever. The technical accomplishments were phenomenal. With the
likes of Walking With Dinosaurs and half of the Sci-Fi shows on TV using CGI
effects (badly) the wonder and sheer amazement value of the film has gone;
however it remains excellent entertainment and was genuinely scary for the
young on the big screen. It will be interesting to see if it can recapture any
of that in the 3D presentation. The film
is a good reminder of the right way to use effects. A near seamless blend of
CGI and practical effects work, a blend many of today’s films would do well to
emulate.
Statement…
“Universal Pictures will release Steven Spielberg's
groundbreaking masterpiece JURASSIC PARK in 3D on April 5, 2013. With his
remastering of the epic into a state-of-the-art 3D format, Spielberg introduces
the three-time Academy Award®-winning blockbuster to a new generation of
moviegoers and allows longtime fans to experience the world he envisioned in a
way that was unimaginable during the film's original release. Starring Sam
Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson and Richard Attenborough, the
film based on the novel by Michael Crichton”
Oh and the music is still absolutely awesome... Jurassic Park 3D…
