It feels good to know it will only be a matter of weeks before I will have seen all the major Oscar contenders as my prediction charts are starting to be less about buzz and the opinion of others and I can finally add my own personal opinion into each. Of course, I still have films such as Invictus, Nine and Avatar yet to see, but by the end of day on December 10 that will no longer be the case for those three.

I will also have seen Brothers, Broken Embraces and The Princess and the Frog by that time as well.

Unfortunately, Crazy Heart and The Last Station are ducking me as I haven't heard a word about either film here in Seattle, but hope to soon.

As for what I have seen, I finally saw Up In the Air just last night as well as The Young Victoria, Me and Orson Welles and A Single Man recently. All four had an effect on me and all four are worth seeing. But let's dig into the Oscar prospects.

In the Best Picture category there weren't any major changes as Precious remains my front-runner, but at the bottom of the stack A Single Man moved into the top ten while the Coen brothers' A Serious Man was edged out. My top ten still contains unseen films such as Invictus and Nine, while Crazy Heart makes its debut at #13.

Best Actor saw movement at the top as I have given in to early buzz for the time being on Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart and moved him to the top of the class. This is more in response to seeing George Clooney in Up In the Air than to anything else. Clooney is just fine in Up In the Air, but it's still just Clooney playing Clooney and he already won an Oscar for that in 2006 for Syriana. Colin Firth becomes an increasing contender for that top spot in my mind and based on the films I have actually seen, he is my front-runner for A Single Man. This movement ultimately bumps Jeremy Renner out of the top five, but I never really thought he would remain in there until the end.

The Best Actress category didn't see much movement other than Helen Mirren moving into the fourth slot for The Last Station edging Saorise Ronan out of the top five. Of course, this is just buzz movement at this time as I still haven't seen either The Last Station or The Lovely Bones so things could change very quickly. Emily Blunt also makes her debut in the category for The Young Victoria at the #8 slot.

I wish Supporting Actor saw even more movement than it did as I have debuted Christian McKay's performance in Me and Orson Welles at the #6 slot, but I'm afraid Oscar pundits around the web are keeping mum on one of the finest supporting performances of 2009. And one of the best performances overall. For now Stanely Tucci remains my gut instinct front-runner for The Lovely Bones, but Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) and Alfred Molina (An Education) should not be second guessed.

Finally, for Supporting Actress we again see some movement near the top and a newcomer in the top five. Anna Kendrick is that newcomer and she edges out her Up In the Air co-star Vera Farmiga, but it's an interchangeable battle at this moment as Farmiga is solid throughout that film, but Kendrick has the much meater character. If it wasn't for a terrible crying scene I would be 100% behind Kendrick's nomination, but Cotillard or Cruz could swoop in with their Nine performances and leave both Farmiga and Kendrick on the outside looking in.

The biggest move in the Supporting Actress category is Julianne Moore for a fantastic performance in A Single Man as she pulls out an English accent with professional ease playing a 48-year-old desperate divorcee.

On a side note, if you are interested in discussing this year's Best Cinematography enter the conversation right over here. And finally, next Tuesday, December 1 will feature the 25th Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations Press Conference at 8:00am PST at the Sofitel hotel in Los Angeles. Stay tuned for that.

For a complete look at my prediction charts I have included the links to each category directly below. On top of that, The Envelope at the Los Angeles Times has finally presented the first batch of aggregate predictions of which I am a part of. Their Buzzmeter appears to be having some issues, but there is a post right here that contains the most recent predictions as well as a list of the 19 other pundits contributing to the prediction charts.

You can check out all my latest Oscar Predictions by visiting The Contenders or clicking on any one of the following links to get started. Each opens in a new window so just close the window to return to this post.

• Best Picture
• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Best Supporting Actor
• Best Supporting Actress
• Best Director

Starring as the titular "me" is Zac Efron playing Richard, a wannabe actor who coincidentally runs into a 22-year-old Orson Welles (Christian McKay) coming out of the newly-opened Mercury Theatre where he will produce, direct and star in his adaptation of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar." Words are said and Richard finds himself with a part in the play and rubbing elbows with Welles on a day-to-day basis as something of a friend-at-arms-length over the course of the next week, culminating in the opening night production.

The central focus is undoubtedly Richard as we see the movie through his eyes, but McKay is dominating as Welles in a performance that steals the show. I'd say this makes everyone else look meek in his shadow, but perhaps that's exactly as it was with Welles, a man that knew exactly what to say, what to do and when to do it. All in an effort to ensure things are done his way. He comes across as a madman of sorts and if you're in his presence you feel blessed. It's as if you are a part of his genius. After all, the film is set in 1937, one year before Welles was known for his "War of the Worlds" broadcast and most certainly before Citizen Kane. That said, McKay manages to bring to life elements of a Welles we would come to know and hear in the future.

The lengths people will go to please him and better their position in the industry are most reflected in the performance given by Claire Danes as Welles's production assistant Sonja Jones. Throughout most of the film Sonja speaks of her anticipated meeting with mega-producer David O. Selznick and proves nothing is taboo when it comes to protecting the longevity of your career.

Efron's Richard is the wide-eyed optimist in all of this as he gets more and more comfortable in his new surroundings. After all, it's much better than his "other" life he as a 17-year-old student, even though he hasn't given up on that life just yet. After all, if Me and Orson Welles is truly about anything, it's about youthful possibilities and the chasing of dreams. Even Welles is a youngster in this story.

It's about how you can have the golden ticket in your hand and how it can blow away just as quickly. The message, of course, is to not let the lost moment be the end of you as there is still always more to do.

Linklater co-wrote and directed one of my all-time favorite films in Before Sunset and there are many others to his credit that adorn my DVD shelf space, and again he has put together a film worth adding to that collection for repeated viewings. It's a film I suggest you take in at the theater and demand at your local art house cinema. If anything, it is a must see simply for McKay's performance alone.

Once it was announced John Hillcoat, the director of the underappreciated Australian western The Proposition, was set to direct an adaptation of McCarthy's work on the heels of the Coen brothers' successful adaptation of "No Country for Old Men", my interest was piqued. I rushed out, picked up a copy and finished at three in the morning. Remembering the brutal reality of The Proposition I couldn't imagine a better director to bring this violently bleak and gray world to the big screen. As it turns out, that's exactly what he did, but unfortunately a page-for-page accurate adaptation is not what this story needed.

The hardest part for me in forming an opinion of this film is attempting to separate myself from the book and evaluating the film on its own. However, it's the only approach I can take to this material as a certain glimmer of hope found in McCarthy's prose is lost in this big screen adaptation that looks just as you may have pictured it in your mind, but that can sometimes be the problem. When something looks almost as you may have expected it, but not quite, there is that certain something that's missing and changes the entire picture. It's what's between the lines, and with Hillcoat's The Road it's that one piece that had me watching this film from afar and getting very little out of it.

Starring as the caring father looking after his young boy is Viggo Mortensen. Nameless and as dirty and disheveled as you would expect one to be following the anonymous event that left the world in shambles, father and son are left to their own devices, navigating a world filled with cannibals and unknown dangers around every corner. Mortensen fits the role just as well as Kodi Smit-McPhee embodies the life of his young son, but the path we follow them on seems like nothing more than a means to a predictable end. The journey in no way feels important as much as it seems we are just waiting around for the credits to roll so we can go home.

Of course, these seem like harsh words for a film I look at as technically proficient and well acted. It just seems like the heart of the story is missing, even though you are wholly convinced Viggo will do anything to protect his son from the harsh reality surrounding them.

Contributing to the picture are a cast of known actors in lesser roles. Charlize Theron plays Viggo's wife in a series of flashbacks throughout. Robert Duvall and Michael Kenneth Williams are both excellent (Duvall almost unrecognizable) as stragglers along the road that come into contact with the father and his son. And Guy Pearce has a short moment of screen time toward the end of the picture. Duvall and Williams both create for the best moments in the film, tapping into the human element the film needed more of, while the book was able to survive without it thanks to McCarthy's words.

Hillcoat is an excellent director and The Road is a film that quite possibly was never going to work for me due to my love of the novel. It's well made and visually representative of McCarthy's story, but for me it just didn't work as a piece of cinema. Hopefully many of you will feel otherwise and be able to enjoy it.

The story follows the Ozunu Ninja Clan and how one of their own, Raizo (played by Korean pop star Rain), has gone AWOL and instead of going into hiding he is setting out to exterminate them for killing his ninja girlfriend. Mika (Naomie Harris), a crack Europol agent in Berlin, is along for the ride as the overtly Hollywood portion of the story. She stumbles onto a money trail leading her to suspect underground ninjas have been behind several recent political assassinations. I mean, of course it's ninjas right?

Once word of Mika's investigation gets out she becomes a target, is saved by Raizo and the two get in a series of madcap stupidity from there on out ending in ninja stars that fly through the air like bullets and Europol agents that blow up hidden temples with actual bullets. For what is supposed to be a ninja film this felt more like every other shoot 'em up out there. Except with this one the lights were turned out and the battles were fought in the shadows.

The acting isn't even worth mentioning outside of saying Rain hardly speaks in anything more than one-syllable words and Naomie Harris stumbles through each and every scene with the dexterity of a four-year-old with her shoelaces tied together. It's just as good these two don't bring anything to the film considering McTeigue isn't interested in them in the slightest. What's more interesting is turning out the lights, suggesting stealth movement and raining down dark red droplets of CGI blood. Sound good to you? Good, because that's really all you're getting.

Ninja stars whiz through the darkness tearing apart their enemies as if shot out of a Gatling gun. Oftentimes the ninjas are reduced to smoke and only seen when Raizo is slicing them to bits. When the lights do come up, it's for battle sequences amongst burning flames as CG weaponry makes its way around the room adding very little appeal to a film that really has nothing to say or do with itself.

Ninja Assassin gets caught up in the present while the stories of the past would have been far more entertaining. Once Europol entered the picture and our ninjas were relegated to shadows in the darkness bettling agents with guns the film loses any and all appeal. This one is merely a means to put excessive gore on the screen and while there are a couple of decent fight sequences, the rest is just a blurry mess of noise and darkness hardly worth your time.

I have been pimping Rob Marshall's Nine for what feels like forever and today I have five more stills to share with you as well as hi-res versions of those posters that were revealed on Monday. The one voice I keep on hearing every time I get a new batch of images for this film is Kris Tapley at InContention.com and how he keeps on saying Dion Beebe has just got to be the front-runner for Best Cinematography and it's hard to argue looking at the pictures.

Take a look at the images for yourself by clicking here and let me know if you have any further thoughts on Best Cinematography this year.

Finally, here is the latest new poster from the film as debuted by In Contention late Tuesday.

Photo: The Weinstein Co.

Michael Hoffman wrote and directed the film, an adaptation of Jay Parini's novel of the same name, which is set in the last tumultuous years of Leo Tolstoy's (Plummer) life, the historical biopic centers on the battle for his soul waged by his wife (Mirren) and his leading disciple, Vladimir Cherkov (Paul Giamatti). Torn between his professed codtrine of poverty and chastity and the reality of his enormous wealth, his thirteen children, and a life of hedonism, Tolstoy makes a dramatic flight from his home. Too ill to continue beyond the tiny rail station at Astapovo, he believes that he is dying alone, while over one hundred newspapermen camp outside awaiting hourly reports on his condition. James McAvoy and Kerry Condon also star.

The trailer just debuted at Apple where you can watch it in high definition, or simply give it a peek in the player below.

For more on The Last Station click here.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/grandma-gets-bloody-in-new-clip-from-legion http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/grandma-gets-bloody-in-new-clip-from-legion Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:55:02 -0700 Brad Brevet restricted clip from their upcoming supernatural religious thriller Legion starring Paul Bettany as the Archangel Michael who sets out to help a group of strangers trapped in a desert diner after God loses faith in mankind and sends his legion of angels to bring on the Apocalypse.

The clip featuring the ravenous grandma named Gladys can be viewed directly below. Legion hits theaters on January 22, 2010, for more information and a look at three new images click here.

• Mike Goodridge at Screen Daily (positive)
• Xan Brooks at The Guardian (pan)
• THE SNEAK at The Sun (rave, but this one is hard to take seriously)
• Jamie Graham at Total Film (rave)
• Harry Knowles at Ain't It Cool News (rave)

And now, for the new poster that debuted at MySpace and if you like, MSN has one more clip from the film right here.

Photo: DreamWorks via MySpace

Unfortunately there isn't any box art available yet, but below are the list of features for each:

Ran

• 1080P High Definition Widescreen format with Japanese, English, Spanish, French, German and Italian DTS Master Audio
• "A.K." - the acclaimed feature-length documentary on the making of the film
• "Akira Kurosawa: The Epic and the Intimate" - documentary on the director
• Portrait of Akira Kurosawa by Japanese cinema expert and interpreter Catherine Cado
• "The Samurai" - documentary on Samurai art
• "Art of the Samurai" - an interview with a Japanese art of war expert
• BD-Live
• 20-page collectible booklet

• 1080P High Definition Widescreen format with English, Spanish, French and German DTS Master Audio
• Introduction by filmmaker Terry Gilliam
• "Forever Ealing" - a documentary on the famed British studio
• Audio commentary with film historian Philip Kemp
• Interviews with British filmmakers Allan Scott and Terence Davies and writer Ronald Harwood on the film
• BD-Live (that includes a bonus interview with British filmmaker James Mangold)
• 20-page collectible booklet

• 1080P High Definition Widescreen format with French, English, Spanish and German DTS Master Audio
• Introduction by British film producer and Godard expert Colin MacCabe
• "One Upon a Time There Was...Contempt" - a "making-of" documentary
• "Contempt...Tenderly" - a documentary on Godard's legacy in film
• "The Dinosaur and the Baby" - a discussion between Godard and director Fritz Lang
• Theatrical trailer
• BD-Live
• 20-page collectible booklet

Check out the trailer directly below or at Apple in high definition. Focus will release Greenberg on March 12, 2010.

Next is a trailer for a film I added to the database only a few minutes ago, Letters to Juliet, a new romance from Summit starring Amanda Seyfried as a young American who travels to the city of Verona where she joins a group of volunteers who respond to letters to Juliet seeking advice about love. After answering one letter dated from 1957, she inspires its author (Vanessa Redgrave) to travel to Italy in search of her long-lost love, which sets off a chain of events that will bring a love into both their lives unlike anything they have ever imagined.

The trailer is directly below and you can browse three stills from the film right here. Summit will release Letters to Juliet on May 7, 2010.

Seyfried will also be seen in another romance next year titled Dear John, co-starring Channing Tatum and based on the novel by best-selling author Nicholas Sparks. Dear John arrives a few months earlier on February 5.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/hangover-nine-what-films-should-be-nominated-for-golden-globes-comedymusical http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/hangover-nine-what-films-should-be-nominated-for-golden-globes-comedymusical Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:13:46 -0700 Brad Brevet

Personally, the Globes are a lot of fun to watch, but I've never thought they meant all that much, even though each year I use the Globe results to help us predict the Oscars (last year's update). But the idea of discussing the Comedy/Musical category interests me today so I'm rolling with it.

Sasha offered up It's Complicated, Julie and#038; Julia, The Hangover, Nine, 500 Days of Summer and In the Loop

To this I've added Pirate Radio, The Informant!, The Men Who Stare at Goats and A Serious Man.

Yes, A Serious Man is in the Comedy/Musical category as confirmed by the Gold Derby and An Education, Inglourious Basterds, Crazy Heart and Up In the Air are competing in Drama as confirmed by In Contention.

So, with all that said, submit your answers in the poll and let's see how things shake out. My predictions right now are as follows:

• 500 Days of Summer
• The Hangover
• In the Loop
• It's Complicated
• Nine

Obviously this is early in the game and I will be posting polls once all the films have been released and discussed, but I thought this would be a fun conversation to bring to the table.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/this-week-on-dvd-and-blu-ray-november-24-2009 http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/this-week-on-dvd-and-blu-ray-november-24-2009 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:32:17 -0700 Brad Brevet

Gomorrah (Criterion Collection)
	I just published my review of this one and the film certainly holds up to repeat viewings and left an even greater impression on me than it did when I wrote my "B" review last year. The presentation is great and there is a wealth of supplementary material that can be a bit taxing, but, if taken in slowly, will open your eyes even wider. If you are interested check out my review here and you can read the included Chuck Stevens's essay "Gomorrah: Terminal Beach" available right here.

Angels and Demons
	Nope, wasn't about to request this one for review. I watched it once and once was enough for me. You can read my "C+" review if you need further explanation as to my thoughts on this film, but I don't ever intend to revisit it, the same way I haven't revisited The Da Vinci Code.

Funny People
	I watched the unrated version of Funny People on Blu-ray and I would say the "B-" I gave it in my theatrical review would drop a notch or so the second time around. This film is pretty good until Eric Bana's character shows up and turns it into something of a "wacky" comedy. It's the film's turning point and it's a turn for the worse. However, I still say give this one a rent, it's worth a one-time watch.

Four Christmases
	Bah humbug! My tone on this one has soured since my theatrical review. Get my full opinion on this Blu-ray right here.

Shorts
	I just can't seem to call loud enough on my inner-child to muster up enough interest in watching this.

Janky Promoters
	The crazy thing about this one is that it was actually released in theaters. What? You didn't know that? Well, unless you lived next to one of the 22 theaters it was released in back in October I'm not surprised. However, a comedy with Ice Cube and Mike Epps can't be all bad... Can it?

• Santa Buddies
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Season Four
• Beverly Hills 90210: Season Eight
• Angel Heart [Blu-ray]
• The Golden Age of Television (The Criterion Collection)
• Cujo (25th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]
• The Sopranos: The Complete First Season [Blu-ray]
• The Way of the Gun [Blu-ray]
• Kobe Doin' Work

• Paranormal Activity
  Releasing on December 29, 2009
• Black Dynamite (buy now)
  Releasing on February 2, 2010
• The Boys are Back (buy now)
  Releasing on January 26, 2010
• Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself (buy now)
  Releasing on January 12, 2010
• Ong Bak 2: The Beginning (2-Disc Collector's Edition) (buy now)
  Releasing on February 2, 2010
• Ong Bak 2: The Beginning (buy now)
  Releasing on February 2, 2010
• The Stepfather (buy now)
  Releasing on February 9, 2010

• Paranormal Activity
  Releasing on December 29, 2009
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
  Releasing on February 2, 2010
• Black Dynamite (buy now)
  Releasing on February 2, 2010
• Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself (buy now)
  Releasing on January 12, 2010
• Ong Bak 2: The Beginning (buy now)
  Releasing on February 2, 2010
• The Stepfather (buy now)
  Releasing on February 9, 2010

As a film we are witness to the world of guns, drugs, illegal toxic waste disposal and even haute couture, all involving organized crime in Naples. The organization, known as the Camorra, is wrapped up not only in illegal activities, but they reinvest their money in legal activities, which is expanded on in the included interviews on this disc, which also stress the hot bed of trouble that found author Roberto Saviano after his expose was originally published.

Another statement I made in my original review I'm still a bit unsure of is when I said Gomorrah "seems more interested in informing rather than entertaining no matter when the information is offered." In fact I think such a statement makes for a fascinating social experiment considering this film contains everything that excites us when it comes to gangster tales, but the reality of it all is unnerving. I wonder if turning these story angles into some sort of television mini-series and expanding on those featured in the film would be looked at as exploiting a terrible situation for monetary gain or as an eye-opening production shedding light on a situation most people probably don't even know exists. The film, I still think, is focused on the latter, but the elements of entertainment are definitely there.

Looking into the special features there are really only two different sections. First is the 60-minute behind-the-scenes featurette followed by a large group of interview segments with director Matteo Garrone (22 mins), actor Toni Servillo, author Roberto Saviano (43 mins), actors Gianfelice Imparato, Salvatore Cantalupo and Servillo. Beyond that, there is a batch of six deleted scenes and the three-minute trailer.

The hour-long behind-the-scenes documentary is actually quite fascinating but certainly too long as it's broken up into five parts mirroring the film itself. Garrone's on set instruction is particularly fascinating. One example begins as he has his actors go through a scene as scripted and then tells them to completely abandon everything they've just said and improvise the lines in search of more spontaneous and realistic dialogue. The best suggestion is to take your time watching each segment and the same goes for the interviews.

Garrone's interview segment is a perfect length at 22 minutes, but Saviano's (which is even more interesting) is presented as nothing more than a talking head. What he is saying is intriguing, but at 43 minutes it becomes a bit lengthy for one sit down as the scenery never changes. Fortunately Criterion has indexed it into five parts so you can come back to it should you have the same problem as me.

Overall this is a film to explore and endure. I am still plan on reading Saviano's book for an even further appreciation. This is a tragic subject, but it also makes for a fascinating film. While I still think the film has difficulty in covering the Camorra as a whole due to the attempt to boil it down to five individual stories there is enough meat here to make a meal and enough supplementary material to keep you busy.

I ended my theatrical review saying:

This flick won't become a holiday classic, but I am sure it will entertain those that go see it. At a meager 82 minutes it doesn't demand a lot of your time and in the early moments it offers some hearty laughs.

The features offered on this Blu-ray release are also just as mind-numbing including a making-of featurette that actually believes we would ever be interested in learning how they built a Jump-Jump so it could be filmed or how they made a house just to destroy a TV. Here's a big spoiler from that second revelation... They had a scaffold! The fact they even try to pass this off as interesting is an insult to the viewer and scaffolds everywhere.

A "Four Christmases: Holiday Moments" featurette is boring just as are the deleted scenes and a batch of outtakes.

Regular readers know I stress the importance on seeing films more than once to further establish your opinion and understanding of a movie. This works for both art house films and dumb studio comedies as evidenced here. I obviously got something out of Four Christmases the first time around, but a second viewing has set me straight. Nevertheless, I wouldn't say this film isn't worth a possible rental, but anything more than that is a waste of time and money at this point.

Check out the poster below and the two earlier released posters right here.

Photo: The Weinstein Co.

Moving on, TrekMovie has the as scripted scene from Star Trek had William Shatner as Captain Kirk been included. Read that here.

Next, Natalie Portman tells MTV Kat Dennings has secured a role in Thor but no word on what her role will be. Idris Elba also recently joined the cast as Heimdall, guardian of the Bifrost Bridge.

Tobey Maguire was quoted by HitFix saying Spider-Man 4 will begin filming in February or March of 2010 and said audiences will be seeing a new side to Peter Parker in the third sequel of the comic book flick.

Finally, Rolling Stone gets top-billing on the latest poster for The Road.

Photo: The Weinstein Co.

Below you will get links to the award sites as well as links to each screenplay, with the newest scripts marked as such. Remember to bookmark our The Contenders section and/or subscribe to the Contenders RSS Feed for continuous awards updates.

• An Education
  • Download the Script andlaquo; NEW!
• Broken Embraces
  • Download the Script andlaquo; NEW!
• Moon
  • Download the Script andlaquo; NEW!
• Sugar
  • Download the Script andlaquo; NEW!
• The Last Station
  • Download the Script andlaquo; NEW!
• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
  • Download the Script andlaquo; NEW!
• The White Ribbon
  • Download the Script andlaquo; NEW!
• The Damned United
  • Download the Script andlaquo; NEW!

• A Serious Man
  • Download the Script
• Coraline
  • Download the Script
• 9
  • Download the Script
• Sin Nombre
  • Download the Script

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  • Download the Script
• The Informant!
  • Download the Script

• Precious
  • Download the Script

• The Men Who Stare at Goats
  • Download the Script
• Sunshine Cleaning
  • Download the Script

• Public Enemies
  • Download the Script
• Funny People
  • Download the Script

Nine has already screened a few times for reviewing press, but they've been asked to remain mum on the film. As much as I would like to hear some positive word, I'm happy there hasn't been any chatter to disrupt my anticipation as I will be seeing it on December 8. However, for now Yahoo has debuted the poster for the film, which can be seen directly below.

Nine hits theaters on December 18 in New York and L.A. and then expands on Christmas day. For more on the film click here.

Photo: The Weinstein Co. via Cinematical

Photo: The Weinstein Co. via Yahoo

The film is expected to hit theaters on July 30, 2010 and also stars Vanessa Hudgens, whom I can only assume will be the girl he ultimately convinces to love him. Woopty-doo.

Above is a teaser image from Legion and you can get the full gallery right here, the gallery for Dear John can be found right here.

Directly below are the new posters from Salt and Kick-Ass, click on either to check out the full gallery for each film.

Photo: Columbia Pictures

Photo: Lionsgate

Up is now available on Blu-ray and DVD, you can click here for my review of the Blu-ray edition.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/blu-ray-review-fight-club http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/blu-ray-review-fight-club Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:40:05 -0700 Brad Brevet It wasn't until I started writing about movies online that I found a shared love with Fight Club, but it actually seems like every single movie blogger running a movie news driven website has a special relationship with this film. As a matter of fact, I thought I loved this movie, but now realize I am a mere fan compared to the legions of followers Tyler Durden and David Fincher have amassed. Luckily this film hasn't inspired a legion of Project Mayhem followers as much as it has inspired folks to journey on a path of loving film and Fox has put together an impressive Blu-ray to make sure they can continue down that path and do so in superior high definition.

The Fight Club Blu-ray, as evidenced in the screenshots you can see at DVD Beaver, is vastly superior to the excellent 2-disc DVD I'm sure adorns every fan's shelf. Most notable is the absence of a greenish hue that gave the previous DVD edition a slight look as if we were living in the world of The Matrix, but now each frame is as crisp and clear as you could possibly imagine, all while maintaining its dark and murky appeal. Admittedly, the moment we see a battered Angel Face (Jared Leto) in makeup looks more fake than it ever has, but it's a price I'll pay for the crystal clarity of the rest of the feature.

The new DTS track is as impressive as one could ask for as the punches hit home with disturbing precision and the damp environment of a dark cellar is brought to life all around you.

As far as new special features go it's not as if you are getting a ton, but there are subtle benefits. In the featurette department there is a whole section designed around sound designer Ren Klyce's work including a six minute introduction titled "A Hit in the Ear: Ren Klyce and the Sound Design of Fight Club" followed by the ability to individually adjust the sound mix on four separate scenes. The featurette is interesting and more than enough as the sound mix sessions are an absolute bore unless you truly have a lot of time to waste.

Next is a ten-minute "Flogging Fight Club" feature from Spike TV's 2009 Guys Choice Awards presentation celebrating the tenth anniversary of the film and its entry into the Guys Choice Hall of Fame. Mel Gibson is on hand, riding in on horseback honoring the film with Fincher, Norton and Pitt accepting. The best part of this is the inclusion of behind-the-scenes footage as the trio decide what they will say on stage and Norton coming up with the idea for Pitt to thank Gibson as "sugar tits".

The only other new feature makes use of the four commentary tracks that are available, all of which are worth a listen if you have never given them the time of day on your 2-disc editions. They range from fun to informative and this new Blu-ray gives you a whole new way of listening to them. By accessing the "Insomniac Mode" you can either search a database of keywords to find specific commentary discussions or hit play as the four tracks will be listed on the left side of the screen with the topic being discussed in each featured along the way. This allows you to tune in to another commentary if the description interests you. It's a fantastic way to mix things up if what you are listening to ever gets dull. Criterion does a similar indexing of their commentaries and it's nice to see another studio starting to catch on.

The most disappointing portion of the release will be for anyone picking this up that doesn't already own the 2-disc edition as it appears all of the short extras have been carried over but are an absolute nightmare to access through a branching navigation I gave up on after only watching one featurette. The ability to navigate this stuff is so much more rewarding on the previous DVD edition, which means it won't be leaving my shelf should I ever choose to revisit them.

As for the film itself, I enjoy it a lot and owning it on Blu-ray is an absolute must for anyone with fond memories. And instead of expounding any further I think I will direct you to our very own David Frank's ten year anniversary column celebrating the film where you can continue the discussion even further.

Overall, this is a disc I wouldn't hesitate to buy, or if you know a fan of this film and they own a Blu-ray player this makes for a VERY easy gift idea. The picture and audio alone separate it from its previous DVD release and the best of the special features are still readily available. This is a must own in my book.

I have included the video directly below. It runs for 12 minutes and 42 seconds.

Avatar hits theaters on December 18, for more on the film including pictures, trailers and more click here.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/box-office-wrap-up-nov-20-nov-22-2009 http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/box-office-wrap-up-nov-20-nov-22-2009 Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:39:16 -0700 Laremy Legel

Next weekend's films only look partly compelling. Fantastic Mr. Fox is something I'd encourage everyone to see... unless you just hate Wes Anderson. The Road is bleak but well done.

On the returnees, New Moon should plummet if it follows the Twilight math. My early guess? It's a better product than that one. And it won't drop as much. But somewhere over 50 percent is just about a sure thing, because New Moon is the new breed of film. Frontload city. But anything under 60 percent they'd (Summit) have to call a win.

Your turn! Hit me with a comment and tell me why I've got it all wrong. Or heck, maybe even a little right.

	QUICK THOUGHTS: I had never seen this 1951 classic interpretation of Charles Dickens's story and with the recent disappointment that was Robert Zemeckis's film I was curious as to what the big deal was with this film considering so many people stood up to say it was their favorite version of the story. Certainly, it is a much better film, but what I am wondering is why Zemeckis felt his film was a vastly improved interpretation beyond those that came before it. As far as I can tell the only difference in terms of story is his addition of a mini-Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Past being represented by a candle rather than just another ghost. Other than that his version is damn near exactly the same and Jim Carrey's interpretation of Scrooge, all the way down to the reading of the lines, is a mirror image of Alastair Sim's performance here, which (of course) seems so much more real considering... it is. Oh well.

There you have it. Now share your weekly recaps and weigh in with any thoughts you may have on the films I saw. And remember to connect with my Netflix queue by clicking here, I have already added several titles from those that have already linked up.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/sunday-morning-movie-jumble-november-22-2009 http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/sunday-morning-movie-jumble-november-22-2009 Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:17:22 -0700 Brad Brevet

[jumble_form]

1. Never won an Oscar as an actor despite receiving a nomination for Best Actor for his first screen appearance.
2. Died the same day as Yul Brynner.
3. Declined the chance to be the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars.

• His role as Harry Lime didn't earn him an Oscar nomination yet it was ranked #93 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Don't give away the answer in the comments, but help me out... What did you think of this one? Clues too easy? Which one gave it away for you?]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/new-moon-dominates-opening-day-record-with-72-7-million http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/new-moon-dominates-opening-day-record-with-72-7-million Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:13:54 -0700 Brad Brevet The Dark Knight deserves that record for the mere fact it's a well made film and New Moon is not." I responded by saying it won't bother me unless New Moon hangs on next weekend and continues to gain strength. After all, tapping into a moment in pop culture doesn't make you quality material, just look at Britney Spears. New Moon simply filled a void and has done so to record numbers.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon stormed the box-office with a record midnight opening of $26.2 million topping the previous record set by Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince at $22.2 million. Now, it has gone on to break The Dark Knight's previous opening day record of $67 million with a whopping $72.7 million and with 342 fewer theaters than The Dark Knight opened in 2008.

What does this mean? Very little. Like I said, it tapped into a moment in pop culture and if someone wants to point out to you that numbers don't lie, simply toss back at them the RottenTomatoes score of 29%, the IMDb score of 4.4/10, the MetaCritic score of 46 and the MRQE score of 49%. If numbers don't lie then I think I have just found four that tell the "truth".

Laremy will be here tomorrow with the full box-office rundown, but for now here's how Friday stacked up:

1. The Twilight Saga: New Moon - $76.7 million
2. The Blind Side - $10.9 million
3. 2012 - $8.1 million
4. Precious: Based On The Novel "Push" By Sapphire - $3.6 million
5. Planet 51 - $3.1 million
6. A Christmas Carol - $3.0 million
7. The Men Who Stare At Goats - $860,000
8. The Fourth Kind - $610,000
9. Couples Retreat - $555,000
10. Law Abiding Citizen - $495,000

The Hurt Locker hits DVD and Blu-ray on January 12, click here for more on each release.]]> http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/video-previews-for-nine-of-the-ten-animated-short-film-oscar-contenders http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/video-previews-for-nine-of-the-ten-animated-short-film-oscar-contenders Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:57:45 -0700 Brad Brevet UPDATED: Thankfully a user has sent in the trailer for Nicolas Schmerkin's Logorama so I now have video previews (and a couple of full versions) of all ten Animated Short Film Oscar Contenders.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced the ten animated short films that have advanced in the voting process for the 82nd Academy Awards and I have compiled video previews for nine of the ten.

The only film I wasn't able to find any video for was Nicolas Schmerkin's Logorama, but I was able to find the image you see just to the right. If anyone is able to find actual video please let me know.

The ten films selected remain out of an original 37 that were submitted after the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting in screenings held in New York and Los Angeles. The group will now select the five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in January 2010.

The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

You can stay up-to-date on all of my Oscar season coverage by tuning in directly to my "The Contenders" section.]]>