The Hobbit – What’s wrong with 48 FPS?

By Paul Martin April 25th, 2012, under The Hobbit

Within the past couple of days, people have been slamming The Hobbit film.  Not for the content, though, they seem to love that.  They’ve been talking about the speed at which the film is displayed: 48 FPS.  Until now, that hasn’t been possible to display at a movie theater.  Until now, and for the last 90 years, all movies have been projected at a mere 24 frames per second.

It’s a leap forward in technology.

Something weird is happening, though.  The negative reaction to the 48 FPS is because it is “too realistic.”  But since when has that been a problem for people?  People to want their video game graphics to be as realistic as possible.  I’m one that doesn’t care what the game looks like, as long as it’s fun to play.  I love a beautiful looking video game, but I think that the SNES and up is fine as far as graphics quality.  But more often than not, people talk about how great the graphics look, and that’s what they’re looking for in a video game.  People also buy the latest and greatest in HD TVs, Blu-ray Discs, and even Apple is touting the graphical display capabilities of the new iPad (3rd Generation).

And when our movies look better, we’re suddenly against it?

“Indeed, the footage was vivid, with grass blades, facial lines and soaring mountains appearing luminous and pronounced. The actors looked almost touchable, as if they were performing live on stage.” (CBS)

That sounds FANTASTIC to me.  I want to see that.  That sounds magical.  That sounds like what movies should be.  Completely immersive.

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The Muppets Sequel Officially Announced

By Paul Martin April 24th, 2012, under Movies

One of my favorite movies of 2011 was The Muppets.  They’ve just announced a sequel, officially.  Director James Bobin and writer Nicholas Stoller are set to return behind the camera, and it’s going to be a caper.

Walter, the new Muppet from the first film, will also appear in the cast.  Jason Segel may cameo but his character’s story arc is complete so it’s not likely that he’ll be returning in a leading role.

I’m very hopeful that the sequel will continue what the first film started, having recaptured the magic of the early Muppet films in a way that we haven’t seen in many years, and many attempts by the Henson studios.

 

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Transformers 4 – Michael Bay to Direct – My List of Requests

By Paul Martin February 14th, 2012, under Transformers

I just learned that Paramount has scheduled Transformers 4 for release on June 29, 2014.  They’ve also put Michael Bay back in the director’s chair.  That’s kind of disappointing, but also not entirely unexpected.  That said, I have a list of requests for the upcoming fourth Transformers that I feel could not only make a great film, but also bring the franchise around to a place that no movie has really gone before, but should work if executed properly and taken seriously enough.  There’s good reason why Optimus Prime’s scenes in the Transformers movies so far were always full of gravity and emotion, and it’s because he’s a human being.  They’ve proven that Optimus alone can carry whole scenes, and it’s time to allow the robots to carry the entire film.  That leads us to my list of requests.

1) Begins and Ends with Transformers. Humans are supporting roles. We’re talking 80% Transformer driven.

We’ve had enough human drama in the Transformers series.  It’s time to take a chance on a character driven movie.  People going to see a movie called Transformers should go into it expecting to see giant robots for the majority of the movie.  I understand they are on earth and have to deal with humans.  That’s why I’m being generous with the 20% human screentime.  And that’s 20% humans alone if you find it necessary.  Humans can appear in scenes with the Transformers, but only as background or supporting characters.

2) Bumblebee was given his voice back at the end of Transformers 1, and promptly lost it again in a battle in one of the comics. Funny, none of the other Transformers had the same problem. Fix him.

We need more Autobots and Decepticons that the audience can relate to and get to know.  We know Optimus, Megatron, Sentinel, Starscream and Bumblebee pretty well.  The rest of the Autobots and Decepticons have gone fairly undeveloped or destroyed.  Giving Bumblebee his voice back would be a great start.

3) Give the Autobots a homebase of operations that THEY run.

Like the Ark from the original animated series, the Autobots need a place that they live that isn’t run by humans.  Kind of like an Area 51, but only for Transformers.

4) Give the Decepticons a homebase as well.

The original animated series placed this in an ocean or lake.  It would lift out of the water to release Decepticons.  Make it happen.

5) The Decepticons are evil, make us hate them, but LOVE to hate them.

The third movie did a pretty great job of this, but we need something new from them.  Give them personalities that make us really enjoy their screentime.  Show them plotting and make them entertaining enough.  Perhaps put them into a situation where they are earning the trust of humanity with the plan to turn on all of them.  That’s been set up a bit by the third film, and wasn’t a bad twist.  Might even set up a really great Autobot that people are sure to love, only to have him be destroyed by the Decepticons.  (Think Darth Vader’s style of leadership.)

6) The Autobots are awesome, make us want them to destroy the Decepticons. (Kind of like TF3, but even moreso. Make the audience celebrate when the Autobots finally uncover the dastardly plot of the Decepticons and start to fight back.)

When the Autobots finally uncover whatever it is the Decepticons are doing in the film, they should go about their retaliation in a way that is fitting of the Autobots.  It should be a plan that is run with tactics that use the variety of skills that each Autobot has in very interesting and unexpected ways.  A lot of espionage and teamwork.   Have Mirage (aka Dino) use his whip like weapons to toss an Autobot toward things like rooftops or Decepticons, and also use them to swing across things.  He could even destroy a few Decepticon Jets by fighting with these weapons and then swinging from the falling wreck of one Decepticon to the next, using these weapons like a Spider-Man or Indiana Jones style whip, to launch himself from place to place.

7) Grimlock and the rest of the Dinobots.

It’s their time to shine.  There have been three movies, and so far the Dinobots haven’t fit.  To fit them in, the story might have to be about them.  That said, it could be, or we could just have the Dinobots because they’re awesome.  Perhaps they’re necessary because the Decepticons have something huge and the Autobots need more help that can’t come fast enough, so they build their own new group of Autobots.

Bonus: Use the Autobot and Decepticon logos to show when you’re switching scenes between the two sides.

This was a classic part of the cartoon and let us know, as the audience, which group of Transformers we were watching.  Not a must have, but it would be really fun.

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Great Quotes – Winnie the Pooh

By Paul Martin December 31st, 2011, under Quotes

“We’ll be friends forever won’t we, Pooh?” asked Piglet.

“Even longer,” Pooh answered.

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Lego The Lord of the Rings is coming! (Lego The Hobbit, too!)

By Paul Martin December 16th, 2011, under Lord of the Rings

Looks like the article I wrote a while ago about the potential for a Lego Lord of the Rings was right on the money.  Back in February of 2010, I wrote that the LEGO company could create products based on the Lord of the Rings.  My article was more about video games than anything else, but this is a good start.  I suspect that video games are only a matter of time, now.

Here’s the press release:

Warner Bros. Consumer Products and The LEGO Group announced today a partnership that awards the world’s leading construction toy brand exclusive rights to develop build-and-play construction sets based on THE LORD OF THE RINGS™ trilogy and the two films based on THE HOBBIT™.  The multi-year licensing agreement grants access to the library of characters, settings, and stories for THE LORD OF THE RINGS property, as well as films The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again.  LEGO® THE LORD OF THE RINGS construction sets are slated for a rolling global launch beginning in June 2012 in the United States, with LEGO THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY scheduled for later in the year.

“Only LEGO, with their expertise in the construction category, is capable of doing justice to the incredibly imaginative environments depicted in the world of THE LORD OF THE RINGS and the two films based on THE HOBBIT,” said Karen McTier, executive vice president, domestic licensing and worldwide marketing, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “These films give life to amazing worlds and characters and we are thrilled to bring fans these products that deliver an imaginative play experience befitting of these beloved properties.”

The LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS collection will translate into LEGO form the epic locations, scenes and characters of Middle-earth as depicted in all three films, including The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

In late 2012, LEGO THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY will give fans of all ages a chance to build and play out the fantastical story and new characters of the legendary Middle-earth adventures depicted in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journeyfrom Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson, slated to premiere December 14, 2012.

“Our collaboration with Warner Bros. Consumer Products has delivered numerous worldwide successes in the construction toy aisle with lines like LEGO HARRY POTTER and LEGO BATMAN, introducing us to loyal audiences who love great stories, strong characters and the toys that they inspire,” said Jill Wilfert, vice president, licensing and entertainment for The LEGO Group. “It’s particularly exciting to now be able to create sets based on the fantasy worlds and characters from THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and the two films based on THE HOBBIT, not only because we know they will foster collectability and creative play, but also because these are two properties that our fans have been asking us to create for years.”

Information about the sets and collectible minifigures from both collections will be unveiled at a later date at TheLordoftheRings.LEGO.com.

About The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again
From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first of two films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit.  The second film will be The Hobbit: There and Back Again.  Both films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before The Lord of the Rings, which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released beginning December 14, 2012.  The second film, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, is slated for release the following year, beginning December 13, 2013.

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the character he played in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins.  Also reprising their roles from “The Lord of the Rings” movies are: Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Ian Holm as the elder Bilbo; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Elijah Wood as Frodo; Orlando Bloom as Legolas; and Andy Serkis as Gollum.  The ensemble cast also includes (in alphabetical order) Richard Armitage, John Bell, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Barry Humphries,Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Evangeline Lilly, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Graham McTavish, Mike Mizrahi, James Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott, Jeffrey Thomas, and Aidan Turner.

The screenplays for both The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again are by Fran Walsh,Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson.  Jackson is also producing the films, together with Fran Walsh andCarolynne Cunningham.  The executive producers are Alan Horn, Ken Kamins, Toby Emmerich and Zane Weiner, with Boyens serving as co-producer.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again are being co-produced by New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. with New Line managing production.

Warner Bros Pictures will be handling theatrical distribution for most of the world and MGM will handle all international television licensing and theatrical distribution for certain international territories for the films.

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Super 8 – A Film about Letting Go, Forgiveness, Childhood and Film Making

By Paul Martin August 4th, 2011, under Movies, Music

Super 8 is a film that is rich with many layers of depth.  It is a love-letter to the inspiration of making movies and provides a lot of heart to match.  After seeing the film, I ordered the score, composed by Michael Giacchino.  Giacchino has worked with Super 8 director J.J. Abrams on every project since Alias.

Having seen the film three times, each time getting something new out of the movie, I found the music and characters began to resonate with me more and more.  Perhaps it’s because my childhood was somewhat similar, but for whatever reason, the themes that the film contained touched me.

The music, masterfully composed by Giacchino, is both reminiscent of the music of John Williams and entirely original.  The first time you hear the music in the film is with the studio logos, before the movie even begins, and I can remember feeling that music already transporting me back to my childhood.

It is then that the film begins, with a loss that hangs over the whole film: an accident at a plant that takes the life of Joe Lamb’s mother.  It is this beat that sets up the emotional journey of Joe, as he sets off through the summer, trying to be a kid while also trying to deal with the loss of his mother and a father that doesn’t know how to be there for him.  Joe holds tightly to a locket that had belonged to his mother and finds it difficult to move on.  He finds himself on a journey of discovery as an alien is loose in his small town.  The culmination of his journey is in the moment that he confronts the alien face to face.

“Bad things happen,” he says, “but you can still live.”

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DC Comics 52 Title Reboot – Team Titles

By Paul Martin June 22nd, 2011, under Comic Books

These are the team comics that I’m the most interested in, which haven’t been listed in any of the other articles I wrote prior to this.  There are two Justice League teams, a very Young Justice like Teen Titans and a pair of Legion of Superheroes titles.  I’m most excited for Justice League and Teen Titans, out of the lot of them, as they appear to have the characters that I know and like.

Justice League #1

Featuring the major characters of the DC universe: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and Cyborg (?), this is the title that starts it all.  I really enjoy seeing multiple heroes working together.

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DC Comics 52 Title Reboot – Wonder Woman and Green Lantern

By Paul Martin June 21st, 2011, under Comic Books

With the reboot comes the relaunch of two characters that have been spoken about in mass media within the last year.  Both were being filmed in live action productions, but only one of those is being released at this time.  Green Lantern is in theaters, and the reboot is likely to follow in the footsteps of the film.  Wonder Woman was filmed as a pilot for a potential tv series that didn’t get picked up to series.

Green Lantern #1

Green Lantern has very little details about it, but it is only one of a number of new Green Lantern related titles that are being released this September.  All DC says about it is: “Change is coming. But set aside your fear. It’ll be worth the wait.” (more)

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DC Comics 52 Title Reboot – Batman Family Titles

By Paul Martin June 20th, 2011, under Comic Books

As promised, here are the new titles in the Batman family of comics.  I didn’t include them with the other Batman comics as there are so many.  These comics are all spin-offs of the Batman line, or feature characters that came from the Batman comics.  Some of them look more interesting to me than others, but we’ll see.  As a reminder, these aren’t all of the Batman family titles, only the ones that I plan on picking up the first issues or so.

Batgirl #1

I used to watch the Adam West Batman tv show, and that was where I was first introduced to the Batgirl character.  Later on, she reappeared  in Batman: The Animated Series and Barbara Gordan was again in the role.  In the comics, DC had her paralyzed at some point and she went under the name Oracle in the series Birds of Prey. That series is also being rebooted, and it appears that Oracle is no longer going to be part of that team as Barbara Gordon is re-taking the Batgirl mantle.  I had read a Batgirl series that featured one who was mute, and have been following the latest Batgirl, but this puts a monkeywrench into all of that.  In the new series, she’s “going to have to face the city’s most horrifying new villains as well as dark secrets from her past.”

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DC Comics 52 Title Reboot – Batman Titles

By Paul Martin June 17th, 2011, under Comic Books

With Batman there are a lot more titles than there are with Superman.  Back around the time of the death of Superman storyline, there were four Superman titles each month, and they even added a fifth for the months when there would be a fifth Wednesday for a few years.  Now it seems that Batman has become the most popular DC comics character, if I base that thought on the number of Batman titles alone.

In this entry I’m going to only feature the primary Batman titles.  The next post will be about the Batman family titles, featuring characters that are spinoffs of the Batman universe.

Batman #1

As with Action Comics #1 being the first restart since 1938, this is the first Batman #1 since 1930. In the series, Bruce Wayne once again becomes the only character taking on the Batman name.

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