When it comes to a movie like Avatar I’m a firm believer that it is a film that should only be seen in theaters. After seeing the re-release of the movie in IMAX 3D earlier today, I have only become more opinionated in this matter. This was the first time I have revisited the film since it’s original theatrical run and it was truly worth the wait. While the jury is still out whether or not Avatar is the Star Wars of it’s generation, the pure cinema of it is still just as impressive as it was the first time around.

One of the big selling points of this re-release was the nine or so minutes of extra footage added back into the picture. Do the scenes help or hurt the film? Why not just wait for the recently announced DVD of the film which will have even more footage? Well, the truth of the matter is that unlike Cameron’s other extended cuts of his films such as Aliens and Terminator 2, which added many controversial scenes (among fans) this is more of an enhancement to some minor plot threads. With some extra Pandora goodness thrown in the mix. Below are the highlights of the added bits, with commentary. (more…)

Waking up to the news that the writing/directing team behind one of your favorite movies is reteaming is always nice. Well, today it’s happened in a big way. Collider reports that  screenwriter David Webb Peoples (Unforgiven, Twelve Monkeys) will be penning a draft of Ridley Scott’s much awaited return to Sci-fi, The Forever War…and there was much rejoicing. The news appeared on the author of the novel, Joe Haldeman’s Live Journal. Here’s a description of the story from Amazon.

…conflict between humanity and the alien Taurans. Humans first bumped heads with the Taurans when we began using collapsars to travel the stars. Although the collapsars provide nearly instantaneous travel across vast distances, the relativistic speeds associated with the process means that time passes slower for those aboard ship. For William Mandella, a physics student drafted as a soldier, that means more than 27 years will have passed between his first encounter with the Taurans and his homecoming, though he himself will have aged only a year. When Mandella finds that he can’t adjust to Earth after being gone so long from home, he reenlists, only to find himself shuttled endlessly from battle to battle as the centuries pass.

Sounds like Ridley Scott’s answer to Avatar and having Peoples on board can’t hurt at all. All in all this is exciting news.

geek
Slang.
1. A person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. This could be due to the intensity, depth, or subject of their interest.

2. a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp. one who is perceived to be overly intellectual.

3. A carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts, as biting off the head of a live chicken.

2oth Century Fox has just announced the date in which the extended version of Avatar will hit theaters and IMAX once again. For a fan of the film who hasn’t seen the picture since December this is extremely exciting. My policy has been that a film like Avatar is meant to be experienced on the biggest screen possible. So, until my home theater catches up to the tech in cinemas I’ll be waiting for events like this one: (more…)

Bird with his second Oscar for "Ratatouille"

geek
Slang.
1. A person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. This could be due to the intensity, depth, or subject of their interest.

2. a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp. one who is perceived to be overly intellectual.

3. A carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts, as biting off the head of a live chicken.

Geek Round Up is a Filmdogs column celebrating the best geeky filmic news. Basically anything that incites us geeks to push our glasses up the bridge of our nose, and lean closer to our computer screens with excitement. So, let’s do just that.

Brad Bird is one of my favorite directors. Period. His films The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille transcend animation in such a way that the word “cartoon” never enters your mind. Now, it seems as if the director is finally taking the leap into the live action world. According to Vulture Bird is in final talks to helm the fourth installment in one of the most diverse franchises in existence. The Mission Impossible series.
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Let me get one thing out of the way. I saw this film in 2D. Why? Because James Cameron told me too. Why would Cameron of all people do that? Well, Titans was shot in 2D, yet after Avatar studios saw the higher ticket prices of 3D as a way to make more money. So Clash of the Titans then underwent a rushed 3D conversion process that would normally take six months in just about eight weeks. I foresee this strategy backfiring on studios in the future as audiences will begin to tire of paying the extra money for 3D that’s anything less than Avatar. So save your extra five dollars for a footlong at Subway and see the movie in 2D. (more…)

Overall, this years awards went down as expected and were kind of bland. I kept hoping for an upset, but the biggest one I got was Geoffrey Fletcher winning Best Adapated Screeplay for Precious over Jason Reitman’s script for Up in the Air. It was cool seeing Kathryn Bigelow become the first woman to win in the directing category. Dito, as for seeing “The Dude” himself, Jeff Bridges, win for Crazy Heart. The Hurt Locker had a big night sweeping all the major awards including Best Picture. For me though the best part of the entire show was the cutting of the Best Original Song performances from the telecast. Here’s hoping that change is here to stay. See all the winners below in bold.
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Here are some of the Pack’s Oscar picks. Each individual writer’s choices for who they think will win are indicated by their name in Bold to the right of a nominee. See how our staff’s picks stand up against our own and leave your thoughts below in the comments. Also follow the sites official twitter for live updates during the show. (more…)

Alice in Wonderland has had various film incarnations over the years. From the classic Disney tale to the 1985 television broadcast that successfully sacred the hell out of me.  It is a story people connect with. The magic and whimsy of a new world. The journey of a young girl growing up right before our eyes. The story is timeless. Every generation could find something to latch onto. That said, the most recent endeavor directed by Tim Burton is one giant mess.

To cap this batch of negativity off, the opening moments of this film were so flat that I could almost hear Burton saying, “Let’s hurry up and get through this people. Then we can get to the fun stuff.” I understand that the opening of this film is not why the audience is going to the picture, but I need something to latch onto. The dialogue and acting was stilted, and one could argue that doesn’t matter in a movie like this. Well… it does to me. So Alice is being forced into marriage and decides to run off, falls into a hole, and we are in Wonderland. (more…)

I won’t lie. I wasn’t looking forward to watching “Precious.” The trailer for this film looked like an urban nightmare, and i’m not usually one to shy away from dramatic flicks. Yet, I couldn’t help but be taken in by this films power. Director Lee Daniels has created a stylish and beautiful ode to all the put upon inner city teens of this nation. It is a wonder to behold. (more…)

The fifth installment of The Filmdogs Podcast is up with special guest host, Filmdogs writer Maxx La Bella!! This week we talk about Chris Nolan’s little brother directing Superman, and the impressive box office takes of Avatar and Shutter Island. We’re going to the mattresses in this weeks Vs. with Goodfellas vs. The Godfather, plus we discuss the biggest mistakes the Oscars have ever made in our Featured Topic of the week. If you don’t listen you’ll be sleeping with the fishes!

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