This BBC article asks: Can technology replace human actors?. It’s concerned with performance capture (motion capture with feelings). The short answer is no.
A more interesting question and one that may lend weight to Andy Serkis’ call for the UK to setup a studio dedicated to it is can it level the field?
Hollywood rules the film roost for blockbusters because it has the money, but as the price of effects falls, the UK could be in a position to make films that look, but don’t cost, £100+ million. If you can compete with the big boys and rack in £100s of millions then it would definitely be worth the investment, before you consider the cultural benefits.
Read Full Entry | 23rd Aug 2010 | Comments (0) | General
Tom Cruise’s supposed declining popularity as stated by The Guardian is completely ridiculous.
The reason his box office is failing is because he’s made some decision to star in crap movies. Where Inception got great review, Knight & Day got bad ones. Nobody gives a crap what he does outside the cinema once we’re inside, but if you make a bad movie it doesn’t matter how popular you are, people won’t go to see it. The same would be true of DiCaprio. Let’s not forget that The Aviator was hardly a roaring box office success, nor were Revolutionary Road or Gangs of New York. Cruise may no longer be bankable, but then no actor ever has been since the 80s, probably because budgets have spiralled while takings haven’t.
Read Full Entry | 5th Aug 2010 | Comments (0) | General
Sitting down to my review copy of Legion, a film about a rogue angel who comes to Earth to protect humans from God’s wrath, I was looking forward to it. I’d been impressed by the trailer. But trailers, can be deceiving.
The story is fairly simple, several unrelated and slightly odd strangers who happen to be at the same truck stop in the middle of nowhere meet Archangel Michael, who has come to tell them that God has had enough of humanity and has sent forth his angels to kill them all, but he, once a general in the Lord’s army, has come to defend a woman whose unborn child can save humanity and change God’s mind. So the battle commences.
Read Full Entry | 28th Jul 2010 | Comments (0) | Reviews
Having only read the other day about a short film that cost $5k is to be made into a Hollywood feature film after being an internet success this story by the Beeb that says the internet creates a window for aspiring young film makers is no real surprise.
Long ago I had the idea of a raising money for a feature film by allowing anyone to invest in it and getting small rewards (a credit, a free DVD, etc). Now the internet is bypassing production and distribution channels altogether to allow anyone to make money from their movies.
Read Full Entry | 21st Jul 2010 | Comments (0) | General
I grew up in the 80s and 90s and I’m guessing the current crop of producers and studio execs did as well, which is why we’re seeing so many remakes of films and TV from that era.
With a new version of The Karate Kid due in cinemas at the end of the month and the original out on Blu-ray for the first time on Monday I got offered a review copy.
It’s been a while since I’ve watched it, I would have been too young to see it on its initial release, but it is still a legend to my generation. This is the movie that brought phrases like ‘wax on, wax off’ and ‘Daniel-san’ into everyone’s lexicon.
It was so popular it spawned two sequels with the original cast and they even tried to resurrect it with Hilary Swank as The Next Karate Kid.
Read Full Entry | 14th Jul 2010 | Comments (1) | Reviews
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