AVATAR being re-released to 3D cinemas worldwide in August. No, really.
Jul 09
Did you see Avatar in the cinema? You know, with the silly 3D glasses on and hundreds of sheep people looking on in awe? Chances are you did… we all did. And if you didn’t see it in cinemas you most likely got the DVD or Blu-ray the day it came out or soon thereafter. Numbers indicate we all saw Avatar at some point. The big question is: would you pay money to go see it in the cinemas again, if you had the chance? Fox thinks you will. Fox are probably right.
The wise and powerful Mr. James Cameron has mistakenly thought he could fix/improve Avatar by adding eight whole minutes of never-before-seen extra footage that didn’t make it into the original cut and re-release the entire film to 3D cinemas across the globe– less than a year after it was originally released.
In some cities (like Sydney), the original film is still running. Avatar is already the highest grossing film of all time, who knows when it will stop making money. I should be baffled, disgruntled and scratching my head in confusion, but this makes sense. Heck, even I’m considering seeing it again, and I didn’t enjoy it like most people did.
If you’re a fellow Australian, you can catch Avatar in 3D again on 26 August 2010. The other international re-release dates, announced by Fox today, are listed below.
- Belgium – 8 September 2010
- Russia – 26 August 2010
- Spain – 17 September 2010
- UK – 27 August 2010
- India – 27 August 2010
- Japan – 16 October 2010
- South Korea – 16 September 2010
- Mexico – 15 October 2010
- Argentina – 16 September 2010
If you’re gonna do something wrong, do it right: MAD MAX 4 shooting ‘real’ 3D
Jul 08
The upcoming July issues of Australia’s Inside Film magazine will feature extensive coverage of George Miller’s third Mad Max sequel Fury Road which is currently in pre-production Down Under. As an appetizer, they have posted a short article and interview with the director online.
Miller has revealed that he’ll be shooting Mad Max: Fury Road using 3D technology (not just converting 2D footage in post production) which perks my interest a little. The general understanding is that 3D is bollocks (isn’t it?) but things shot in 3D tend to be at least a little more impressive. Mostly, anyway. Miller says:
“We are doing 3D on Fury Road – we are shooting with real 3D cameras. Seven years ago we were going to shoot in 3D but the technology in cinemas wasn’t geared for it then but I always loved 3D or stereo.”
Also interesting to note that the film is costing over $100 million, making it available for the gorgeous 40% Producer Offset tax rebate the Australian government dishes out for shooting films Down Under.
Back in February I wrote a retrospective review of Mad Max and discussed how the indie film helped change the landscape of Australian cinema back in the 70s. Obviously, with such a hefty budget (even the Spider-Man reboot ‘only’ has $80 to work with) I can’t be expecting the same kind of grit and revelation from Mad Max: Fury Road, but rather an effects-laden action film that will continue the saga of The Road Warrior… in ‘real’ 3D. Thinking about it, each Mad Max sequel got bigger in budget and effects as the years progressed, so I guess on those terms it is a natural progression.
A little comforting, at least, that it has been announced WETA is working on the conceptual design, Specialty Make-Up FX, Costume and Dummies for the sequel. So we know they’ll be decent quality.
Also, Mel Gibson is not attached. I still haven’t decided if that’s a good or bad thing.
Mad Max: Fury Road isn’t due to start production until early 2011, headed for a 2012 release. I’ll be looking forward to it that whole time.
Would you pay to see TITANIC again, in 3D this time?
Jul 06
The LA Times confirms James Cameron is taking on the long task of converting Titanic into a 3D film for Fox, ready to be re-released in April 2012. That date marks 100 years since Titanic’s tragic sinking, and they seem to think re-releasing the film in 3D and selling even more tickets to see it would be a fitting way to capitalize on the occasion. I mean, why not?
The majority of the 3D films you see in cinemas were actually shot using standtard 2D cameras and then digitally altered for those uncomfortable 3D glasses to. Only a handful of films, likeAvatar, have been shot using the Fusion3D camera that shoots ‘true 3D. Obviously, being a 1997 release, Titanic would have to be converted to 3D. Apparently, if you spend enough time carefully rendering each frame, converted 3D can turn out OK. The quick, fast, cheap way looks horrible and is happening on so many movies it’s becoming hard to keep track.
I’l only willing to sit through Titanic again for three reasons:
- Seeing it on the cinema screen again would be a blast
- That guy hitting the propeller in 3D might be cool, and
- Well… Kate Winslet topless in 3D. That could be worth the price of admission alone! Even if it does mean sitting through Titanic all over again.
Johnny Depp does something, everyone pays attention: PIRATES 4 set pics
Jul 03
That’s right, Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is filming right now. Well maybe not right now; today’s a Saturday. Depends on their schedule — do they do 6-day weeks at Disney or do they shoot Monday – Friday? Who knows.
Anyway, check out these photos of Johnny Depp chillin’ with some dudes on a log, and asking whether he’s allowed to go pee in the ocean, respectively:
Yep, looks like they’re hard at work bringing you the next installment in one of the biggest film franchises of all time. Also, where can I get one of those boom-stands? It looks outrageously convenient.
Pirates 4 (or, if you accidentally hold shift, Pirates $) is due in May 2011, and will be in 3D, etc.
HARRY POTTER 7 poster looks like something from a video game; new teaser is full of boring scenes
Jul 03
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows is the big climax of the 7-book cycle. The climax of the climax, as it were, is a large-scale assault on Harry’s school, Hogwarts (er, spoilers). The poster is keen to reveal that to everyone, and also to pay homage to one of best video games of the 90s:
It even looks like it was rendered by the Nintendo 64!
For your trouble I’ll even throw in the Deathly Hallows teaser someone ripped from the new Lego Harry Potter game. It features clips from that extraneous Ministry infiltration scene, footage of that annoying goblin character, and a snippet of that boring graveyard scene. So, not a very good trailer, then, but at least Hermione’s hand has blood on it this time, eh?
I appreciated that this teaser didn’t constantly fade to black and burst my eardrums with epic chanting though, that’s a nice change from the official trailer. Apologies for the hilariously awkward face Daniel Radcliffe is pulling in the Youtube preview image:
OPINIONS COUNT