Erik Davis
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Site of the Day: My Life is Twilight
Filed under: Fandom
Just when you thought it was safe to welcome that delirious Twi-hard family member back into your life comes a new website that's just ... well, all kinds of hilarious. It's called My Life is Twilight, and it consists of a bunch of little notes from fans who want you to know that their life is all about Twilight. I'm sensing an MTV True Life episode in 3 ... 2 ... 1...
But seriously now ... no wait, how can we really be serious about this? I know, they're young kids obsessing over a harmless entertainment property -- which, I imagine, is better than doing hard drugs or killing squirrels or whatever it is bad kids do these days. However, some of these little notes are just ... yeah. Here's a sample from the site:
"Today, as in every day, when I reread all of the Twilight books, I will cry, and when my boyfriend walks in the room I will intentionally start a fight with him & yell at him for "not being Edward Cullen". He knows now not to come in the room while I'm reading."
"Last year, my friend and I were out dancing. It was the middle of winter, so when her boyfriend came in from outside, he was freezing cold. Snatching his hand in hers, she proceeded to place it on my face, proclaiming "He feels just like Edward."
"Today I realized that ever since I read Twilight I highlight the word "twilight" in every other book I read just to give myself satisfaction that it MUST be a good book!"
"I work with juveniles that have just been arrested. Even though I know these kids have just committed a crime, I smile a little wider and act a little nicer when I talk with one named Edward."
Read the rest over here, and tell me if this is completely normal behavior or if there really is some sort of weird epidemic at play here.
'Mystery Team' Hits New York on Friday - Watch Their New Short!
Filed under: Comedy, DIY/Filmmaking, Movie Marketing, Trailers and Clips
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While it's sadly not going to take home any Oscars and probably won't nudge its way onto too many best-of-the-decade lists, one of my favorite comedies of 2009 has been slowly making its way across the country and is finally set to debut in New York this Friday, December 4th. I first saw Mystery Team (starring the crazy cats of DERRICK Comedy) at a packed midnight screening during the Sundance Film Festival (where I described it as " Encyclopedia Brown meets Napoleon Dynamite with a pinch of Ace Ventura"), and the place was just rolling. Ever since then it's been one of the films I've been championing throughout the year, if only because I know there are people out there (and fans of comedy in general) who would totally love every second of this thing.
This Thursday I'm going to be hosting a pretty cool DERRICK Comedy event at the New York Film Academy, and I look forward to sharing DERRICK's story with a couple hundred students (I also hope to share video of the event with you once it's over). Then, on Friday, Mystery Team opens in NY at the Quad Cinemas downtown and the dudes from DERRICK Comedy will be appearing live at every evening performance for intros and post-screening Q&As. Additionally, if you show up twice and bring your ticket stub, you earn a chance to have your name on the Mystery Team DVD.
Finally, while their film has been spreading like a virus across the States, DERRICK has kept busy filming more comedy sketches. They're definitely NSFW (not safe for work), feature foul language and sexual innuendos. I've posted their latest -- hot off the presses -- after the jump. Check it out.
Does 'Paranormal Activity' Deserve a Best Picture Nomination?
Filed under: Awards, Mystery & Suspense, Fandom, Oscar Watch
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The Indie Spirit Awards announced their nominations this morning, honoring a whole bunch of films that were only seen by film critics, artsy intellectuals and/or people who accidentally walked into the wrong theater while on their way to watch Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I kid, of course, because if it wasn't for shows like the Spirit Awards, a number of really great independent films (and performances) would probably go unnoticed. So I command you to check out the list of nominees after the jump and start tracking them down one by one (either in theaters or on DVD). Go! Now!
This year's crop of nominees is definitely stirring the pot a little bit. Surprises include Maria Bello for Best Female Lead in Downloading Nancy, a film that all of about one person (me!) actually enjoyed. 500 Days of Summer also took home a couple nods for Best Feature and Best Male Lead (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and even the viciously panned Gentlemen Broncos walked away with a nod for Best Supporting Male (Jermaine Clement). One of the more interesting (and talked-about) nominations went to Paranormal Activity in the Best First Feature category, alongside other notable indies like A Single Man, Crazy Heart, Easier with Practice and The Messenger.
But does Paranormal Activity really belong there, or is it being honored more because of what it achieved at the box office versus how good it actually is? I've seen some already poking fun at the nomination on Twitter, as if it doesn't deserve to shine the shoes of the other films listed alongside it. But is that just because it doesn't fit the 'Best Picture" mold? Is it because it's become a "fanboy" film?
Exclusive: New Harry Potter Online Game -- Death Eater's Duel!
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, Movie Marketing, Harry Potter, Comic/Superhero/Geek
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Cinematical is happy to be the site that exclusively brings you the next piece of coolness to come out of The Road to Hogwarts Sweepstakes, which is a contest set up to promote the December 8th DVD and Blu-ray release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Essentially, fans can enter for a chance to attend Universal Orlando Resort during the grand opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which is that brand new fantastic-looking Harry Potter theme park (see concept images here) set to hit in the spring of 2010. In addition to entering the sweepstakes, folks can also earn extra entries by playing a series of Potter-themed online games where weekly winners earn more Harry Potter prizes.
And that's where we come in, see, because we have the latest Road to Hogwarts Sweepstakes game and it's called Death Eater's Duel. Here's a description: "Lord Voldemort's army of Death Eaters have been reunited with him and their power is growing. Players can recreate the scene of a duel with the Death Eaters in this online Wii remote-controlled game in preparation for dueling against Draco Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Fenrir Greyback. Players must be ready to choose a spell to fire back at the curses the opponents will be aiming at them. This game can also be played with a computer mouse instead of a Wii control."
To play the game, click on the below link, and for more information on The Road to Hogwarts Sweepstakes, head over to their official website. Enjoy!
Click here to play Death Eater's Duel
Chris Weitz to Direct Two-Part 'Breaking Dawn' Finale?
Filed under: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels
As The Twilight Saga: New Moon crosses $200 million, execs over at Summit Entertainment are quietly (or not so quietly) trying to figure out what to do about Breaking Dawn, the final (for now) adaptation in the Twilight movie franchise. According to a piece in Variety, only screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg is confirmed to finish out the series, and right now it looks like they're going to go the Harry Potter route and split Breaking Dawn up into two parts. Problem is, none of the actors have deals for a second part, and so like what happened with Harry Potter, there's a very good chance Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner could be looking at upwards of eight figures for their participation.The other big question mark (aside from how you adapt the predominately darker Breaking Dawn into a film that will appeal to the tween and teen set) is who will direct. David Slade is currently helming Eclipse, the third installment in the Twilight franchise, and from the sound of things that's the only segment he'll be directing. Right now it looks like Summit wants Chris Weitz to finish out the series, which is why -- according to Variety -- they haven't yet closed the deal on The Gardener, which is the smaller, more personal film he wanted to direct next. But will Weitz commit to the back-to-back films, which are sure to keep him away from his family for several months?
What's the alternative, though? To bring on a director new to the franchise to helm its big finale? That doesn't make sense, and I'm sure Summit is preparing to empty their wallets on this one in order to line up the correct pieces. Sources claim the studio wants Weitz to finish the job, though they haven't yet made him an official offer. What do you want to see happen?
First Image from 'Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1'
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, Newsstand, Harry Potter, Images
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Amidst all this nonsense over The Twilight Saga franchise, Warner Bros. does not want you to forget that they're gearing up for one helluva two-part finale when it comes to their just-as-popular Harry Potter franchise. The first official image from Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 has arrived online courtesy of USA Today, and right off the bat we have our three franchise heroes, Daniel Radcliffe (as Harry), Emma Watson (as Hermione) and Rupert Grint (as Ron). They look sort of determined in that image -- as if they're about to lay the wizardry smackdown on some unlucky evil soul.
Director David Yates tells USA Today, "It's going to feel very real. We're going for a vérité approach. Being away from Hogwarts, they're like these three refugees on the run. They're out in the big bad world, facing real danger, unguarded by those wonderful benign wizards at Hogwarts. They don't have a home to go to. We're kind of pulling away from the magic a bit and bringing more reality to it." The first installment, which hits theaters on November 19th, 2010, find our heroes dropping out of school and roaming the streets of London in search of Voldemort's remaining three Horcruxes. Says Grint, "They're paranoid. It's quite a scary world because the Snatchers and Death Eaters are running around everywhere. Harry, Ron and Hermione are just camping out in random places, living rough, in regular clothes."
Sounds pretty badass. I like the sound of a grittier, real-world Potter film -- how come they didn't get Michael Mann to shoot this one? Watch it when it drops in November; meanwhile the second (and final) installment will arrive in 2011.
Alec Baldwin Becomes Latest to Threaten Retirement
Filed under: Fandom, Newsstand
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In case you haven't noticed, one of the hottest trends of 2009 so far has found popular actors threatening to retire from the business for good. First we had Joaquin Phoenix do his little absurd actor-turned-rapper-turned-performance-artist thing (which was popular and relevant for all of about three days), and then we had Viggo Mortensen kinda half-retire before taking it all back, and now there's Alec Baldwin -- who, in a new interview with Men's Journal (via The Hollywood Reporter), admits that he's had about enough of acting, considers his entire career a "failure" and claims that he'll retire once his stint on 30 Rock is up.My first reaction: What's up with Men's Journal, and why do actors feel the need to announce their retirement through them? Mortensen's whole snafu came from an interview with Men's Journal, and now Baldwin. Is Men's Journal now the publication actors will turn to when they want to semi-announce their retirement in spectacular (and somewhat moronic) fashion? I mean, really Alec? You consider your career a failure? Tell that to the middle-aged aspiring actor working six jobs in Los Angeles just so he can call home once a week to tell his family that the second assistant's assistant's assistant on the Viagra commercial really thought he showed promise as a background extra, and that all those years of hard work are finally paying off.
The Return of Jessica Alba?
Filed under: Casting, Deals, RumorMonger, Fandom, Newsstand
Sure, some would suggest that Jessica Alba really can't return to form since there never was a form to begin with. But there definitely was a time when Alba was an "It" girl -- the type to grace numerous magazine covers and star in big, flashy films like Sin City and The Fantastic Four. But then her star began to fade as she clumsily starred in one cruddy flick after another (Into the Blue, Good Luck Chuck, The Eye, Awake, The Love Guru), and with other, more sensational young actresses attempting to make their mark in Hollywood, Alba sort of fell by the wayside.
But now the gal has positioned herself with a few pretty interesting upcoming projects, including two produced by Robert Rodriguez (Machete, The Insiders), one that's based on a very good novel (An Invisible Sign of My Own) and one that finds the actress taking things farther than she's ever gone before (The Killer Inside Me). While I'm sure the girl will manage to land roles beyond these four projects, they will still serve as proving ground for Alba. Is she a "real" actress? Can she turn out an awards-caliber performance? Can she still sell lots of movie tickets? Is she worthy of our attention?
Before you answer those questions, head after the jump to find out more about her new films.
Discuss: Who Would be the Most Profitable Director if ...
Filed under: Fandom
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What if a new movie was coming out and the only information we had was the name of the person directing? This was a discussion my friend and I had over the long holiday weekend, where we pondered a situation where a heavily-marketed film was coming out, and in the TV spots, trailers and billboards, all we were told was the date the film was arriving in theaters alongside the director's name. We then began to wonder which director would not only create the most buzz, but would also make the most money. Whose name is the strongest commercially right now -- is this person also the most talented, and if not, then what does that say about us and why we choose to spend most of our money on a weaker product?
Of course the first three names we spit out were James Cameron, Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg. In our opinion, these three men would make the most money at the box office if all we knew was the simple fact that they were coming out with a new film and nothing else. Seeing as Spielberg can go either small or large, we then narrowed it down to Bay or Cameron -- mainly because both are known for event-type films. My friend ultimately chose Cameron, whereas I went with Bay only because I feel he's a little more relevant at this moment in time and for this specific generation (though Avatar may certainly change that).
A second tier of names included Quentin Tarantino and the Wachowski Bros., though keep in mind the marketing cannot mention the other films these folks have directed -- only their name and the release date. For argument's sake, we're giving it a rating of PG-13 (just to take that off the table).
So, then, have at it. In your opinion, given the circumstances, who would be the most profitable director?
Black Friday Movie Deals: Toys "R" Us
Filed under: Deals, Home Entertainment
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Our good friend and EIC Erik Davis had a very thoughtful idea for the holiday season: Why not scan the early flyers for the Black Friday sales, and report back to you -- the ravenous movie junkie -- to let you know where to find the best treats on the day after Thanksgiving? The next big brick and mortar retail stores we'll be scouring for Black Friday deals is Toys "R" Us . While there isn't a great selection of DVD/Blu-ray players, those parents looking to save on kid-friendly titles should find more than enough to pick up here. Note that the doorbuster items are marked with a *
Toys "R" Us is open at 12:00am on Black Friday. Their online sale starts at 12:01am EST on Thanksgiving Day.
Our previous Black Friday Movie Deals:
Best Buy
Target
Walmart
Kmart and Sears
DVD/Blu-ray
20 Select DVD Movies $9.99
30 Select DVD Movies $4.99
Aliens In The Attic DVD $9.99
All $9.99 Sony DVDs - 60 Titles (In-Store Only) $3.99
Aristocats DVD $9.99
A Tale Of Tails DVD $4.99
Babe DVD $4.99
Barbie Thumbelina DVD $4.99
Blues Clues World Travelers DVD $4.99
Bolt Disney DVD $9.99 *
Christmas Star DVD $4.99
Coraline DVD $9.99
Curious George DVD $4.99
Diego Saves Christmas DVD $4.99
Hanna Montana The Movie Blu-Ray $14.99
Hero Rails DVD $9.99
Hotel For Dogs DVD $9.99
Jonas Brothers Disney DVD $9.99 *
More after the jump
Check Out Concept Art From Marvel's Futuristic Theme Park
Chris Weitz to Direct Two-Part 'Breaking Dawn' Finale?
Girls on Film: The Academy's Shallow Actress Pool_thumbnail.jpg)
Alec Baldwin Becomes Latest to Threaten Retirement
The First 'Iron Man 2' Poster Appears!
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