Posts Tagged ‘avatar’
New Zealand’s Wellington Airport have announced plans to pay for the construction of a Wellywood sign above Miramar Wharf to celebrate the heart of New Zealand’s film industry. Peter Jackson’s WETA Workshop, the special effects / production facility behind the Lord of the Rings films, District 9 and Avatar, is located within a mile of the Wharf and proposed sign.
The film industry contributes an estimated $285 million a year into the Wellington economy, and tours of film-related locations and facilities is becoming one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions. An estimated 100,000 people last year visiting Weta’s mini-museum, theatre and gift shop.
The sign will mimic the famous Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, California, although it will be much smaller: only 90 feet long and 10 feet tall, compared to the Hollywood sign’s size of 200 feet long and 50 feet tall. But according to Stuff, not everyone in Wellington is happy about the new sign, and two facebook pages opposing the sign have been set up.
Personally I think it’s pretty cool, but I don’t live there and don’t have to look at the sign regularly. That said, I do live in Hollywood, and always admire the Hollywood sign whenever it is in sight. But on the other hand, that has a history to it, and the entertainment industry is pretty much inseparable from the city of Los Angeles.
via: TORN
Last month, after a screening of Avatar at the Writers Guild Theater for WGA members, James Cameron spoke with F. X. Feeney about his writing process throughout his career and in the creation of Avatar. I know a lot of people like to make the easy jokes, and write off Avatar for having an over-simplistic plot, but for anyone who really wants to delve deeper — you should really find time to listen to this one hour and ten minute interview/question & answer session.
link: wga.org
via: deanlines
Earlier today, Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Michael Moore sent an e-mail out to his mailing list (a list I belong to) listing his top 20 films of 2009. In the e-mail, Moore hails the best movie he saw in 2009, a film which wasn’t nominated, and wasn’t even shown in the United States — a film titled Troubled Water. Moore writes:
“I’m confident that, if you had had a chance to see it, you would likely agree with me that this is a brilliant film, a rare gem. …. When the film was over, I sat there amazed and wondering, “Why can’t I see movies like this all the time?” What is wrong with filmmaking, with Hollywood? Why are most films just the same old tired assembly line stuff — sequels, remakes, old TV shows turned into movies, predictable plots and storylines… “If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve seen the movie.” But “Troubled Water” was not like that — and therefore its distribution to the theaters of America was, in essence, doomed.”
Moore went on to criticize those who praise the Best Picture/Director winner The Hurt Locker for being unbiased or taking no political sides:
…like that’s an admirable thing! I wonder if there were critics during the Civil War that hailed plays or books for being “balanced” about slavery, or if there were those who praised films during World War II for “not taking sides?” I keep reading that the reason Iraq War films haven’t done well at the box office is because they’ve been partisan (meaning anti-war). The truth is “The Hurt Locker” is very political. It says the war is stupid and senseless and insane. It makes us consider why we have an army where people actually volunteer to do this. That’s why the right wing has attacked the movie. They’re not stupid — they know what Kathryn Bigelow is up to. No one leaves this movie thinking, “Whoopee! Let’s keep these wars going another 7 years!”
You can read Moore’s full e-mail, which includes a defense of James Cameron’s Avatar and his personal list of the top 20 films of 2009, after the jump.
Let’s Watch the Oscars Together — Right Now! …from Michael Moore
Sunday, March 7th, 2010
Friends,
The best movie I saw this year won’t be winning any awards tonight at the Oscars. It wasn’t even nominated for anything. In fact, it wasn’t even shown in the United States. Yet, I’m confident that, if you had had a chance to see it, you would likely agree with me that this is a brilliant film, a rare gem.
It’s called “Troubled Water” (not to be confused with last year’s superb Katrina doc, “Trouble the Water”). “Troubled Water” is from Norway and it is a work of art and great storytelling from the opening frame to its final fade to black. It tells the story of a young man who is paroled after spending time in prison and gets a job as a church organist. He claims to be innocent in the drowning of a child, but the boy’s mother won’t let it go.
When the film was over, I sat there amazed and wondering, “Why can’t I see movies like this all the time?” What is wrong with filmmaking, with Hollywood? Why are most films just the same old tired assembly line stuff — sequels, remakes, old TV shows turned into movies, predictable plots and storylines… “If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve seen the movie.”
But “Troubled Water” was not like that — and therefore its distribution to the theaters of America was, in essence, doomed.
That’s not to say we don’t make great movies anymore. I loved “Avatar,” “District 9,” “Inglourious Basterds,” “Up in the Air,” and “Up” among many others.
Some critics have hailed “The Hurt Locker” because the film “doesn’t take sides” in the Iraq War — like that’s an admirable thing! I wonder if there were critics during the Civil War that hailed plays or books for being “balanced” about slavery, or if there were those who praised films during World War II for “not taking sides?” I keep reading that the reason Iraq War films haven’t done well at the box office is because they’ve been partisan (meaning anti-war).
The truth is “The Hurt Locker” is very political. It says the war is stupid and senseless and insane. It makes us consider why we have an army where people actually volunteer to do this. That’s why the right wing has attacked the movie. They’re not stupid — they know what Kathryn Bigelow is up to. No one leaves this movie thinking, “Whoopee! Let’s keep these wars going another 7 years!”
James Cameron has been targeted by the crazy right, too. Because — and Fox and Rush have this one correct, too — “Avatar” is, in fact, an allegory for America — a land stolen from an indigenous people who were slaughtered, a nation that not only allows corporations to call the shots but let’s them privatize our wars (wars in distant places with the objective of controlling a dwindling energy resource), and a people who seem hell-bent on destroying the environment.
Cameron is a brave and bold filmmaker, a college drop-out who became a truck driver and then one day just decided he was going to make movies. “Avatar” is an idea he’s had in his head since he was a teenager — and somewhere, somehow, his dreams and creativity weren’t snuffed out by the machine. Thank God.
There is so much more I want to say about the state of movies these days, but you’ve got better things to do on this beautiful Sunday. I love this art form, and tonight is the night to celebrate it!
In fact, the Oscars are about to start. I’ll try to “tweet” along with you during the show.
Finally, let me leave you with a list of 20 great movies I saw in 2009 that received little or no recognition or distribution in the U.S. They deserve to be acknowledged on this important night, and I hope you can find them somewhere, someday (a number are already on DVD). They represent the hope I have for the movies being the inspiring force I’ve always believed in.
Be well. And — no extra salt or butter on the popcorn!
Yours,
Michael Moore
MichaelMoore.com
Twitter.com/MMFlint
P.S. Here’s my list of 20 “best pictures” I saw in 2009:
1. “Troubled Water” (see above)
2. “Everlasting Moments” - A wife in the early 20th century wins a camera and it changes her life (from Sweden).
3. “Captain Abu Raed” - This first feature from Jordan tells the story of an airport janitor who the neighborhood kids believe is a pilot.
4. “Che” - A brilliant, unexpected mega-film about Che Guevara by Steven Soderbergh.
5. “Dead Snow” - The scariest film I’ve seen in a while about zombie Nazis abandoned after World War II in desolate Norway.
6. “The Great Buck Howard” - A tender look at the life of an illusionist, based on the life of The Amazing Kreskin starring John Malkovich.
7. “In the Loop” - A rare hilarious satire, this one about the collusion between the Brits and the Americans and their illegal war pursuits.
8. “My One and Only” - Who woulda thought that a biopic based on one year in the life of George Hamilton when he was a teenager would turn out to be one of the year’s most engaging films.
9. “Whatever Works” - This was a VERY good Woody Allen film starring the great Larry David and it was completely overlooked.
10. “Big Fan” - A funny, dark film about an obsessive fan of the New York Giants with a great performance by the comedian Patton Oswalt.
11. “Eden Is West” - The legendary Costa-Gavras’ latest gem, ignored like his last brilliant film 4 years ago, “The Axe”.
12. “Entre Nos” - An mother and child are left to fend for themselves in New York City in this powerful drama.
13. “The Girlfriend Experience” - Steven Soderbergh’s second genius film of the year, this one set in the the post-Wall Street Crash era, a call girl services the men who brought the country down.
14. “Humpday” - Two straight guys dare each other to enter a gay porn contest — but will they go through with it?
15. “Lemon Tree” - A Palestinian woman has her lemon trees cut down by the Israeli army, but she decides that’s the final straw.
16. “Mary and Max” - An Australian girl and and elderly Jewish man in New York become pen pals in this very moving animated film.
17. “O’Horten” - Another Norwegian winner, this one about the final trip made by a retiring train conductor.
18. “Salt of This Sea” - A Palestinian-American returns to her family’s home in the West Bank, only to find herself caught up in the struggles between the two cultures.
19. “Sugar” - A Dominican baseball player gets his one chance to come to America and make it in the big leagues.
20. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” - A smart, adult animated film from Wes Anderson that at least got two nominations from the Academy.
What would the offspring of Shrek and a Na’vi from Avatar look like? Latvia-based graphic artist Alexander Bickov created this mash-up he titled Shrevatar. You can download high resolution computer desktop wallpaper featuring the image on moinid.com.
MAD Magazine has given us an exclusive look at Sergio Aragones’ “A MAD Look At Avatar” parody comic strip from the next issue (#503), which goes on sale March 23rd. Sergio has been working with the magazine nearly since it’s inception - if you’ve ever read MAD, you’ll recognize his work. Check out the whole strip, after the jump.
Click on the images below to enlarge:
Many critics and moviegoers alike have laughed at Avatar’s element of value — Unobtanium. For those of you who don’t know, Unobtanium is not a real element, but is a real word used in the world of science. Derived from unobtainable + -ium, Wikipedia says the word is used to refer to “any extremely rare, costly, or physically impossible material needed to fulfill a given design for a given application.” And while it isn’t explained in the film itself, Cameron’s original scriptment explains that the element was given the faux scientific joke term, and it stuck. Anyhow, /Film reader churrs27 pointed me towards this awesome Unobtanium t-shirt on Busted Tees. Printed on Royal Blue Na’vi-colored t-shirt, and available for $20.
James Cameron’s Avatar and Pixar’s Up took home almost all the awards at the Visual Effects Society honors. Avatar took home six, while Up took home three. The only nominated category Avatar didn’t win was Compositing in a Feature Film — sadly, that was the only category that Neill Blomkamp’s District 9 won. Full award results after the jump.
Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Feature Motion Picture
- 2012
- Avatar
- District 9
- Star Trek
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture
- Angels & Demons
- The Box
- Invictus
- The Road
- Sherlock Holmes
Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
- 9
- Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
- Coraline
- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
- Up
Best Single Visual Effect of the Year
- 2012 (Escape From L.A.)
- Avatar (Quarich’s Escape)
- Avatar (Neytiri Drinking)
- Knowing (Plane Crash)
- Terminator Salvation (VLA Escape)
Animated Character in a Live-Action Feature Motion Picture
- Avatar (Neytiri)
- District 9 (Christopher Johnson)
- G-Force (Bucky)
- Watchmen (Doctor Manhattan)
Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
- Coraline (Coraline)
- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (Buck)
- Monsters vs. Aliens (B.O.B.)
- Up (Carl, No Dad Scene)
Effects Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
- Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
- Coraline
- Monsters vs. Aliens
- Up
Matte Paintings in a Feature Motion Picture
- Avatar (Pandora)
- Franklyn (Meanwhile City Scapes)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Star Trek
Models and Miniatures in a Feature Motion Picture
- Avatar (Samson / Home Tree / Floating Mountains / Ampsuit)
- Coraline
- Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (National Air and Space Museum Escape)
- Terminator Salvation
Created Environment in a Feature Motion Picture
- 2012 (Los Angeles Destruction)
- Avatar (Floating Mountains)
- Avatar (Jungle / Biolume)
- Avatar (Willow Glade)
Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture
- Avatar
- Avatar (End Battle)
- District 9
- Sherlock Holmes (Wharf Explosion Sequence)
source: incontention
The Fine Brothers love to spoil everything, In past years, we’ve featured their popular videos 100 Movie Spoilers in 4 minutes and Spoiling Every Best Picture Winner in Oscar History. After seeing all of the big movies of 2009, the brothers are back once again. Their latest video spoils 50 movies released last year (including all ten best picture nominees) in one take, in under 4 minutes. Watch the video now, after the jump.
And if it isn’t completely obvious already, please be warned that the following video contains spoilers.
Movies spoiled: District 9, Up, Up in the Air, Inglorious Basterds, Precious, A Serious Man, An Education, The Blind Side, Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, Hannah Montana The Movie, New Moon, The Hangover, Star Trek, A Perfect Getaway, Sorority Row, Whiteout, My Bloody Valentine, GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Sherlock Holmes, The Princess and the Frog, Coraline, Fantastic Mr. Fox, 9, Nine, Public Enemies, Invictus, Amelia, Julie and Julia, This Is It, Watchmen, Paranormal Activity, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Adventureland, Crazyheart, Whatever Works. He’s Just Not That Into You, (500) Days of Summer, Orphan, The Messenger, Brothers, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, The Lovely Bones, Thirst, Moon, Zombieland, Jennifer’s Body, The Taking of Pelham 123, and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
(Warning: possible spoilers for Avatar contained in this story)
Will Sigourney Weaver reprise her role as Dr. Grace Augustine in an Avatar sequel? The question might sound stupid to anyone who has seen the movie, but remember what happens when you assume…
Sigourney Weaver appeared on the TV show “Le Grand Journal.” The actress is in Paris this week to honor Harrison Ford during the Cesar Awards (the French equivalent of the Oscars). During her interview, Weaver was asked if she would be part of Avatar 2 and she made it clear that she has already talked about it with James Cameron, who is planning to include her in the sequel.
But how is that possible?
Anyone who has seen Avatar knows that Dr. Grace Augustine died from a fatal gun wound, and the attempt to transfer Grace from her dying human body into her unconscious avatar body with unsuccessful. So how can Weaver possibly be in the sequel? Remember, after Grace died, Mo’at declared that “she is with Eywa now”. Weaver explained on the talk show that her character still exists “in the tree”, and while she can’t promise anything, James Cameron has some ideas on how to keep “the family together.” You can watch the appearance below.
The BAFTA (the British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Awards happened over the weekend, and Brendon filed his report on the site. To promote the award show, the BAFTA commissioned illustrator Tavis Coburn of Dutch Uncle to create a series of posters, one for each of the five Best Film nominees of the year (Avatar, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Precious, and Up in the Air). I absolutely love the retro 1960’s/1970’s style. Check out all five posters after the jump.
You can see more of Tavis Coburn’s art here and here. You can read his official bio below:
Tavis Coburn graduated from California’s prestigious Art Center College of Design with a BFA in Illustration. Since then, Tavis has created countless works for leading publishing, advertising, and music companies in North America and Europe.His clients include: Time, Rolling Stone, GQ, The NFL, Nike, Lexus Sony/BMG, Island/Def Jam, and Universal Music to name a few. Tavis’ unique style is inspired by 1940s comic book art, the Russian avant-garde movement, and printed materials from the 1950s/60s. Over the years Tavis’ work has garnered many accolades, including top honors from The Society of Publication Designers, the Society of Illustrators, and American Illustration. In 2005, Tavis was featured in the “Fresh” section of Communication Arts, was selected by Print magazine as one of “20 Breakthrough Talents Under 30”. In 2007, he received a gold medal in the Illustration: Story category at the SPD Awards. He’s been interviewed for web and print publications from around the world, including Decorate, Pig Magazine, joshspear.com and Behance. In 2008, Tavis’ work for Nike/Footlocker was featured in Creative Arts and was awarded a Gold Medal in Graphis magazine’s run-down of the years best poster art. Beyond just illustration, Tavis has been tapped to create motion graphics work for clients including Dyson, Nike, and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and has worked on imagery for a handful of Canadian film and television projects. A selection of some of his favourite recent images are available as limited edition prints via his website.
via: FirstShowing
