You knew merchandising would kick in on this thing eventually. Thanks to Devin over at CHUD, we get a look at the proposed line of action figures for James Cameron’s “Avatar.” This is fairly newsy, since to the best of my knowledge, outside of those who saw the Comic-Con footage, this is the public’s first glimpse at a full Na’vi/Avatar body:
Another month, another step closer to the awards season. As the summer winds down and the industry slowly begins to square itself with the off-season’s bombshell Oscar news, the picture becomes a little clearer. Kind of.
Universal Pictures, in a move speculated upon endlessly by now, shuffled two of its contenders — Paul Greengrass’s “Green Zone” and Joe Johnston’s “The Wolf Man” — off to 2010. As Anne Thompson shrewdly noted in a recent item, the decision likely has everything to do with a numbers game. The studio has experienced a rocky two quarters this year and things aren’t necessarily looking up. Some think, in the case of “The Wolf Man,” the shift was made to avoid another box office misfire in 2009 (as by now, with push after push, the film is beginning to smell fishy). Others say the “Green Zone” shift had a lot to do with “The Hurt Locker”‘s release pattern.
Whatever the case, the evacuations change the Oscar landscape ever so slightly, giving us just a few more talking points in the vacuum of August before we have anything of value worth discussing when the fall festival season hits in less than a month’s time.
Universal is now left with two critically divisive, commercially dubious titles in Michael Mann’s “Public Enemies” and Judd Apatow’s “Funny People” to hawk for awards consideration, effectively (if you’re asking me, though I realize no one is) taking the studio out of the game this year — or, at the very least, making the hill steeper.
But taking note of the studio awards landscape, it doesn’t seem to me that anyone else is on surer ground. As I look out at the many contenders and the campaigns being prepared for them, it appears the entire industry will be dealing with unconventional approaches and product to go along with the new changes in the Best Picture category (and all the headache that comes with them) this season.
Movie stars are often given much attention for the fashion that they sport off-screen. Seldom does the on-screen attire garner as much publicity.
Nevertheless, the Academy Award for Best Costume Design recognizes those talented men and women who design the threads actors wear on screen. Not only does this work add to the elegance and authenticity of the film, but it can also express the character and the period, mood and setting of the piece.
For the last three years, this category has chosen films which have highlighted the extravagant attire of the upper class from centuries ago. Period films almost always triumph in this field and, in fact, garner the vast majority of nominations, though a spot or two is usually reserved every year for a fantasy effort.
This is also a category which tends to reward designers who have been around a long time, with most nominees every year having been in the race before, although a spot or two is almost always reserved for a newcomer as well. And unlike many other crafts categories, the costume branch does not seem averse to nominating a film which scores in few if any other places.
The most likely nominee this year, if not the most likely winner (sight unseen, of course), might be Janet Patterson for “Bright Star.” This Jane Campion effort was very well received at Cannes in May and the crafts look exquisite. Patterson, who landed two of her three previous nominations for Campion collaborations (“The Piano” and “Portrait of a Lady”), looks likely to return to the race after 12 years. I’d be surprised if she failed to be nominated.
When James Cameron unveiled 25 minutes of his forthcoming film “Avatar” to Comic-Con crowds last week, the reaction was pretty solid. But there were those who were quick to tone down the ecstasy, and with due cause. While the footage was awe-inspiring and, to this viewer’s mind, quite indicative of where the medium is going, it was not the moment of stunning change many might have expected.
Maybe that is the fault of the uncontrollable hype machine, more so than the material, since Cameron has merely been plugging away, hard at work on a project he believes in, while the studio has been in no necessary position to offer up promotional materials like a poster or a trailer, given that the film is still six months from release.
The announcement of “‘Avatar’ Day,” which will bring 15 minutes of the footage to IMAX theaters across the world on August 21 for free and will also mark the unveiling of an upcoming video game tie-in and action figure set, was a shrewd way to drum up the excitement further while also giving fans something tangible to experience. But Stuart Heritage over at The Guardian is thinking along different lines. Maybe, he says, the occassion will provide the first opportunity to calm the waters of anticipation.
I wish I could tell you how awesome the “Iron Man 2” footage form yesterday’s Paramount panel was, but Hall H was packed to the gills and even us schmoes int he VIP line couldn’t get in because it was at capacity. Without a doubt, the event was the most popular attraction at this year’s Comic-Con.
It sounded good muffled through the walls. That’s all I got. Hoping for another screening in LA soon.
By far the highlight for me was the Entertainment Weekly Visionaries panel with James Cameron and Peter Jackson. It’s a pretty big leap from last year’s set of Zack Snyder, Frank Miller, Kevin Smith and Judd Apatow. Let’s hope next year isn’t a step backwards at the crew responsible for this momentous occasion gets creative and puts a few equally brilliant minds together on that stage once again.
Speaking of Jackson, “District 9” made a major splash here. The screening was very well-received on Thursday and the Saturday panel got the crowd chomping at the bit. In this community anyway, the film is sure to be a runaway hit.
• Comic-Con was the week’s big story, with 25 minutes of footage from “Avatar” its major talking-point so far.
• Meanwhile, the rather less glitzy sci-fi of “District 9” wowed the crowds.
• And Gary Oldman slipped some unexpected news about the next Batman installment.
• Good week for trailers, as both “Alice in Wonderland” and “Bright Star” offered a crazyglimpse of their goods.
• Sam Toy reports from the set of “Coco Before Chanel.” [Empire]
• Evan Davis on the cinema of Nicolas Ray. [The Auteurs’ Notebook]
• Peter Sciretta (who I finally ran into yesterday) video blogs “Avatar” footage reactions with his crew (which is hitting the pavement hard at the Con). [/Film]
James Cameron made his long-awaited trip to San Diego this afternoon for the world premiere of 25 minutes of footage from his upcoming film “Avatar,” and the reaction was as enthused as it could have been. A scene-by-scene description is probably the best way to go about this, so first that, then quotes from the post-screening discussion.
If you’d prefer to stay pure on this film and would rather skip the scene descriptions, go ahead and scroll down to the quotes section, indicated in bold below. Also, for those hungry for any and all info, before I dig into the specifics of the presentation, you should really read through Cameron’s E3 address to get an idea of the film’s plot, or else you’ll be quite lost.
Seven sequences were unveiled, beginning with a “Full Metal Jacket”-like military briefing with actor Stephan Lang front-and-center. The scene also introduces us to the central character in the film, Jake Sully, a crippled former military officer himself with an eye toward the cosmos and the planet Pandora.
The next scene reveals the avatars, genetic bio-suits constructed from the DNA of the Na’vi, tall, blue-skinned warrior natives of Pandora. Floating in a tank of fluid, being prepped for integration with human consciousnesses, the imagery is quite beautiful in this scene, the avatars in a docile, tranquil state, Sully peering at them, recognizing in them the chance to walk, however virtually, once again.
I’ll get to my reaction to the 25 minutes of absolutely mind-blowing “Avatar” Comic-Con footage in a few minutes, but for now, it’s worth announcing that James Cameron dropped a bit of news at today’s big Fox panel for the film. If you weren’t able to be in Comic-Con for the big unveiling, you won’t have to wait until December to get a glimpse of the film:
We’re going to do something unprecedented. It’s a social marketing experiment. We’re going to take over as many IMAX 3D theaters and other select 3D theaters worldwide on August 21 and we’re going to let an international global audience come see 15 minutes of “Avatar” for free. It’s going to be “Avatar” day.
There you have it. Circle your calendars.
As I look out my 29th floor window I can see the Hall H line, peppered with air matresses and tents, is already at epicly ridiculous proportions, but most of those nutcases are “Twilight” obsessives hoping to a secure a spot for Summit’s panel later today. The big stuff, however, will revolve around the 3D presentations of Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” and James Cameron’s “Avatar.”
Over at the LA Times, John Horn has previewed today’s festivities, coming at it from the angle of 3D being perhaps a last ditch effort to cash in for a business that sees profits slipping yearly. The buzz studios and filmmakers are aiming to drum up here in San Diego is crucial. Horn talked to a number of artists involved with today’s unveilings, among them, “Christmas Carol” director Robert Zemeckis.
Like the rest of the web geek world, I guess, I’m gearing up for this year’s San Diego Comic Con International, which begins with preview night on Wednesday.
All eyes, of course, are on Thursday’s slew of events, a treasure trove of goodies that made for a ton of Sophie’s choices when putting together my personal schedule. I’ll definitely be at the Disney panel, with glimpses of Robert Zemeckis’s “A Christmas Carol” in 3D and a taste of Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland,” among other things. Speaking of 3D, perhaps the most anticipated panel will be James Camerons “Avatar” event. I’m definitely looking forward to that, but the likely crowd of humanity that will be doing same? Not so much. Trying to wrangle some VIP consideration as we speak.
The Peter Jackson-produced “District 9” isn’t as high on my to-do list as most, but I’ll probably park it for Paramount’s “Iron Man 2” Panel on Saturday. The film just wrapped a 72-day shoot over the weekend, by the way. Warner Bros. also has a panel, on Friday, but Spike Jonze’s “Where the Wild Things Are” is the only thing that has me interested there. Focus Features also plans a considerable presence with “Coraline” (the Blu-ray and DVD of which hits shelves tomorrow) and “9.”
Oh, and Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.” I suppose I should check that out.
LIGHTS…CAMERA…you were probably waiting for the word “action,” no? Action is, after all, what many individuals go to a film to see. But the “lights” and the “camera” in this classic phrase bring a film beyond a book or a radio show…and capture the “action.”
The individuals who paint the images of cinema with light and composition are rewarded in the Oscar category of Best Cinematography. Cinematographers are pivotal in the making of any film and it is thus unsurprising that directors often continuously work with the similar camera heads.
Like many cinephiles, I must say this is my favorite of the so-called “technical” categories and I eagerly anticipate the race every year. This year is no exception.
Australian D.P. Dion Beebe might seem to be leading this year’s lenser race with his third collaboration with Rob Marshall, the musical adaptation “Nine.” Despite not being cited by the Academy for some of his more innovative work (see Michael Mann’s “Collateral”), Beebe has been previously nominated for 2002’s “Chicago” and won the Oscar in 2005 for “Memoirs of a Geisha.” “Nine” will give him the opportunity to pay homage to Federico Fellini while also capturing sprawling musical numbers, a feat this category tends to reward.
• Emmy nominations unleashed, Denis Leary robbed again. [Emmys.tv]
• Xan Brooks and the “Antichrist” debate. One more time around. [The Guardian]
• Jonathan Romney, meanwhile, tries to break down the mind of Lars Von Trier. [The Independent]
• 25 new faces of independent film. [Filmmaker Magazine]
Today marks the beginning of a fourth year of Tech Support here at In Contention. Over the past four years, we’ve sought to bring the otherwise under-reported crafts categories and crafts artists the attention they seldom receive, despite their enormous contributions to the art of cinema.
This year, we plan on looking at nine of the categories – Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume Design, Film Editing, Makeup, Original Score, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Visual Effects – twice thoroughly between now and the morning the nominations are announced. Best Original Song will be previewed once, when we have a better idea of eligible contenders.
I will be offering the analysis of these categories but Kris will also be joining me for the first time this year with Tech Support features and interview pieces throughout.
Last year, a contemporary film – “Slumdog Millionaire” – managed to triumph in five of the 10 categories, a truly remarkable achievement, while “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” unsurprisingly took three others. (Meanwhile, the year’s blockbuster “The Dark Knight” managed one.) It will be interesting to see whether this year will be seen as having tech sweepers like “Millionaire” and “Button” or a greater spreading of the wealth, as we saw in 2007, when eight different films shared the 10 crafts awards!
• Carmike Cinemas honcho S. David Passman III gets back to basics, like cleaning the bathrooms. (This story hits home with me because I grew up going to a shoddy Carmike theater.) [Company Town]
• Headline of the month. Not film related, but necessary for your morning LOL dose. [MyFoxBoston.com]
• Drew McWeeny dives head-long into the tank for Ubisoft’s “Avatar” video game with a detailed description of what must have been a breath-taking E3 demonstration. [Motion/Captured]
• Why Cannes awards mean squat for Oscar. [The Playlist]
• How “Slumdog Millionaire” is changing filmmaking in India. [The Guardian]
• Dumb list du jour… [Premiere]
• Paul Dano, “prince regent of independent film,” rides the subway. Just, you know, FYI. [The Times]
• Sam Mendes drew on Hal Ashby for “Away We Go” (he just missed the poignancy). [The Hollywood Interview]
• Searching for the Berkeley home that inspired Carl’s “Up” abode. [San Francisco Chronicle]
• CAA reaches out to James Cameron to represent the director’s new Fusion Camera System technology. [Deadline Hollywood Daily]
