Blog Archives
The Ultimate Superhero Face-Off?
Wednesday is a wonderful day to wonder about what could have been. For instance, what if Nicolas Cage was cast as Superman?
Before you start laughing too loudly, this was, at one point in the late ’90s, a legitimate conversation.
The rumored title of the movie was Superman Lives. Probably not the best title in the off-chance it wouldn’t get made (check) because of the obvious counter headline for reporters: Superman’s Dead.
C’mon screenwriters, that was too much of a lay-up.
However, thanks to creative video editing, YouTube user “Epic Wolf Films” has given fans a glimpse into what Nicolas Cage would look like as Superman in the Dawn of Justice.
As absurd as it is, Nicolas Cage is still 7 kinds of crazy awesomeness. He’s certainly not my pick to play Superman, the greatest superhero in history, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t not watch the movie in the trailer above…
The film could be titled Superman: A National Treasure.
It’s quite the declaration, but Superman is a character with a certain degree of independence.
Bringing a Tsunami of Chaos to the World
(Jurassic Park, Facebook)
Colin Trevorrow and Steven Spielberg collaborated to make Jurassic Park a real tourist destination (at least theatrically) in Jurassic World.
Can the director of The Impossible make us believe in a world with dinosaurs, sans fences and elaborate glass bird cages?
J.A. Bayona was given the reins of the prized Jurassic Park franchise to direct Jurassic World 2 (title still TBD), scheduled for June 22, 2018. Unsurprisingly, there is already tremendous buzz about this sequel. Why? First, Jurassic World earned a record-breaking $1.6 billion. Second…it’s the second film in the trilogy.
The plot of the first film in this new trilogy revealed there’s a good likelihood of dinosaurs (specifically Velociraptors) being militarized. Will this work? Is this the best idea for rebooting the franchise? Surely, Steven Spielberg has thought long and hard about this and, after many meetings and debates, has determined this is the natural path forward for genetically engineered dinosaurs.
The Impossible is a gritty, emotional movie with beautiful (though devastating) cinematography. Mr. Bayona knows how to film in the elements, especially when nature collides with a tsunami and the chaos that follows.
If Dr. Ian Malcolm were a real person, he’d give his real endorsement of J.A. Bayona as director with a Favorite or Retweet.
Even though there are some scenes in The Impossible that are difficult to watch, Mr. Bayona always scaled the setting and the story perfectly.
What do I mean?
The devastation from the monstrous tsunami was widespread, literally as far as the eye could see, and then some. When the audience needed to see the full landscape, he showed it using every inch of the silver screen. When we needed to see and connect to the characters and experience their highly-emotional struggles, he framed these moments with heart-wrenching precision. And those small, slow burning sparks of hope were there to keep us believing like the desperate families in the film.
The Impossible was both grand and intimate through the intricate collaboration of real-life and CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery).
J.A. Bayona: Welcome to Jurassic World.
P.S. Colin Trevorrow (39) had one notable hit before being hired for Jurassic World. J.A. Bayona (40) has a similar portfolio in preparing for Jurassic World 2. And yet, Steven Spielberg was already a legendary filmmaker when he took on Jurassic Park. Today, it’s regarded as one of the best movies ever made.
Should Spielberg have chosen more experienced and acclaimed directors for continuing his directorial legacy in the dinosaur franchise?
Just an observation to ponder.
The Force Continues
Learn the name Felicity Jones. Her 2016 movie calendar includes Inferno in October and Star Wars in December.
The Star Wars universe has never been limited to being mere movie events, but as a way of life. The experience does not casually start and end when you leave the movie theater. Speaking of which, did you just buy Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Blu-Rey?
(No, that’s not a misspell…).
Well, get ready to head back to the theater again this December to see Storm Troopers, the Death Star and an epic operatic space battle. The first trailer for Disney’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was released this morning.
Two strong, daring female leads in the revamped Star Wars films signal a paradigm shift in the franchise’s narrative and branding strategy by appealing to a new fan base to its science-fiction adventures on the big screen. Rey was fantastic in The Force Awakens and Felicity Jones’ character is awesome in the trailer above.
Rogue One looks like one hell of a fun Star Wars story.
RD’s BFG in HD
There are no aliens, dinosaurs, sharks, artificial intelligence or adventure-prone professors (along with his trademark father-son struggle/dynamic), yet there’s new evidence that begs the question:
Has Steven Spielberg done it again with a giant that is uniquely big and friendly?
The full trailer for The BFG was released today.
As is the case for any movie that combines CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) with real actors, the challenge is to seamlessly join the two forces within one environment without interruption. This cinematic synchronization is important because suspended belief needs to be constant for the audience to maintain its fluidity in storytelling, as well as enhance the believable factor. The absence of this relationship on-screen can generate (if even temporarily) imaginative detachments for the viewer.
A couple scenes from the trailer above reveal a slight disconnect where you can distinguish the real person and the imaginary backdrop. Is this simply an unavoidable consequence of filming in such high definition? Whatever the reason, the legendary director has earned the benefit of the doubt from his fans. Audiences should see this film in its entirety to fairly judge its comprehensive visual technique and merits.
Visually, this movie has a grand, glowing feel. The famed book of the same name certainly received the movie magic treatment.
Just as BFG author Roald Dahl did with his classic books, Steven Spielberg is taking a chance venturing off into a fantasy world and, ultimately, into our imaginations.
That’s something we can all connect with this summer.
Disney’s The BFG arrives in a theater near you July 1st.
P.S. Was it a good idea to reveal The BFG in his entirety in the trailer?
Jimmy's Daily Planet 