This is…the World of Matmos!

Since the dawn of the 21st century, science-fiction, fantasy, horror, and genre films have made a resurgence in the cinematic world. Studios and independent producers are no longer reluctant to finance these projects, as audiences salivate over the newest genre films being brought to the silver screen.  This blog is dedicated to the industry news surrounding the world’s most anticipated upcoming sci-fi, fantasy, and horror films, and will offer reviews of genre films and television.

Where Have the Wild Things Been?

Undoubtedly one of Generation-X’s greatest filmmakers, Spike Jonze is known to film geeks worldwide for his magnificent visual style and ability to evoke the beauty and the strangeness of the stories and characters he films. With the long-gestating production of his adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s beloved classic children’s tale Where the Wild Things Are, Jonze and company seem to have crafted a jarringly beautiful representation of the prose. Despite studio interference, visual effects set-backs, and rumors of Jonze having to go back to square-one and shoot everything completely over, it looks like things may be on track, as the film is still looking at an October 16 release.

Whilst that is still months away, Jonze will have the time to perfectly craft the picture and hone the performances of the characters. Beautifully photographed by Jonze’s long-time collaborator Lance Acord, and shot in the Australian wilderness, Where the Wild Things Are will have a “look and feel [that] is very naturalistic—when our creatures knock down trees, they really knock down trees,” explains Jonze.

The production, which has been ongoing since 2006, has been plagued by studio interference on many of the artistic decisions. First, there were issues with the creature work – CG versus practical effects – and Spike’s decision to go with an unknown lead, 9-year-old Max Records, who plays Max, who apparently received ill reviews from some during an early test-screening last year. According to the production team, Records is fantastic as Max, and it will be his performance that will ultimately carry the picture. When will studio suits realize that when they’re dealing with an artist of Jonze’s caliber, they just need to sign the checks, sit back, shut the fuck up, and the let the man do his job? Seriously.

With an excellent script (with much approval by Sendak himself) by Jonze and mighty scribe Dave Eggers, the film stars Jonze-favorite Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Paul Dano, Lauren Ambrose, and Tom Noonan. This film will not only be embraced by fans of the book, nor only by film geeks, but it looks destined to become a children’s cult-classic in its own right. It will definitely be one of the most personal films of the year. Hopefully it will receive its dues and the studio suits that have denounced it will get their comeuppance.

The Dark Dystopia of “Eden Log”

In this interesting little French science-fiction film from 2007, director Franck Vestiel has crafted an eerie, dystopic underworld which leaves viewers as unsettled and engaged as the film’s protaganist. With its heavy silver-tint, dark, unnerving sets and characters, and the slow unfolding of the what-went-horribly-wrong scenario, Eden Log opens in complete darkness. Blinding, sporadic flashes of light reveal a man emerging from a thick mud, almost as if he were being born from the earth itself. Disoriented, he tries to acclamate himself to his surroundings. He fumbles through the darkness, and eventually comes upon a portable light source, which helps him to navigate the dark corners.

His first human encounter is with a man who is mounted to a wall, with strange, tree-like roots growing out of his body. This image reminded me of when the team of Space Marines encounter the first cocooned host on LB-426 in Aliens. He warns our hero, whom we discover has amnesia, of the impending doom ahead, as his body is wrought with pain as the tree roots further engulf him [we learn late in the film that our hero's name is Tolbiac (Clovis Cornillac), and he has a unique connection to Eden Log]. Out of the shadows comes a roar, which apparently affects Tolbiac profoundly, as he races off, gripping his head in agony. Tolbiac continues his journey through the dark labyrinth, and begins to find clues that lead him to encounter the hideously deformed subhumans, the subterranean tactical police unit, and a stranger in white that helps him in his escape to the surface, all while trying to find out his identity, and what happened to him.

The film is beautifully shot by Thierry Pouget, who manages to keep the film feeling dark and dirty, whilst contrasting the cold and clinically strile areas of Eden Log. Great handheld and dynamic wide-angle camerawork reminiscient of Terry Gilliam’s films also lends a feel of claustaphobia to the frames. Vestiel plays his characters with little dialogue, just enough to move the plot along; the script places emphasis on the world, and the visuals (particularly the production design) are as fantastic as those of Vestiel’s contemporary Chris Cunningham.

Another great aspect of this film is the score by Seppuku Paradigm (aka Alex & Willie Cortes). The haunting, Vangelis-esque ambience it creates perfectly compliments the imagery, and is at the same time neither overly electronic nor symphonic.

The film has a decent plot twist at the climax of the third act, and overall I dug the whole picture. The pacing was good, the story simple and unique, and the visuals all that one would expect from French sci-fi; the design is very Moebius at times, and even feels like it could have graced the pages of Metal Hurlant. I highly recommend this to anyone who is tired of the big, lazy Hollywood effects pictures that seem more concerned with CG explosions and character animation than crafting a good story and atmosphere.

“Half-Blood Prince” International Teaser Online

Over the weekend, TrailerAddict added a new International Teaser for the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for all of us Muggles to swoon over. The sixth in the epic series of books (and films) brings Harry ever closer to the climax of his destiny as the “chosen one”.  The film opens on July 17, 2009.

Great Scott! Ridley’s Return to Science-Fiction!

As anyone who knows anything about film, there is resounding agreement that Ridley Scott is one of the few remaining master filmmakers still working. The man has undoubtedly “the best eye in the business” and has proven himself for nearly 40 years. The legendary director’s earlier films are some of the most beloved films in history, particularly in the realms of science-fiction and fantasy. Two of his most iconic works – Alien and Blade Runner – remain as pillars of the industry, still inspiring filmmakers today, and surely for all time. Nearing the end of the 1980s, Scott began delving into other genres, and whilst still creating magnificent pieces, geeks yearned for his return to sci-fi. Well, it seems that it may actually be happening.

Recently, news has been circulating webwide that Sir Ridley has finally rescued one of his long-entrenched-in-development-hell dream projects, the adaptation of Joe Haldeman’s classic epic novel The Forever War. The director had been trying to get the project into production for 24 years, but to no avail…until now. The thought of Ridley Scott helming something as huge [in narrative and scope] as this has left film geeks salivating.

The story involves a deep-space soldier who is thrust into intergalactic warfare that lasts only seven years, yet when he returns home to Earth, he finds that 20 years have passed and the world is much different than it once was. Expect a beautiful dystopic vision of the future as only Ridley Scott can portray it on the big screen. There is sure to be a great cast, majestic visuals, dramatic action, and cutting-edge effects in this highly-anticipated film. More on this as it comes in…

Warners to Adapt “Ninja Scroll”

Yoshiaki Kawajiri has been one of the Japanese anime industry’s greatest influences for nearly 30 years, and his seminal period piece Ninja Scroll (Jubei ninpuchou) is another one of his masterful works adored by fans worldwide. So, it’s only natural Hollywood wants to cash in on a live-action adaptation.

According to this past Sunday’s article at Variety, Warner Brothers in association with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way production house will produce an adaptation by the currently red-hot scribe Alex Tse. The production will be co-produced by Madhouse. Tse pulled writing duty for Zack Snyder’s upcoming Watchmen and has also adapted Ray Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man for Snyder. Appian Way is also currently making headway with their adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo’s masterpiece Akira.

On a personal sidenote, this news comes as bittersweet. Sure, it is cool that Hollywood has the ability to make such films these days, and there is undoubtedly some talent working on these adaptations, but being that the original works are [to some] untouchable – or at the very least should have the input of the original creators, directors, and/or artists, all of which has been thrown to the wayside in lieu of remaking these projects for American audiences.

Hopefully, Appian & WB will pioneer this with their joint production with Studio Madhouse, the original anime production team. As of yet, there has been no word on the level of their involvement, but hopefully if these great talents play a major role on these live-action anime adaptations, it may ensure that these projects do not ultimately fall prey to cinematic acculturation.

SciFi “Sanctuary”

Sanctuary (SCIFI, Fridays 10/9C, TV-14)

The Fall schedule this year is full of new and interesting sci-fi, fantasy, and horror projects, and the premiere of the new series Sanctuary on the SciFi Channel has quickly become a part of the top ranks of the genre. The fascinating horror hybrid is a look into the otherworldly titular organization run by the mysterious Dr. Helen Magnus, who collects and studies that which has been all but forgotten in the human world. Cryptozoological monsters and other supernatural beings are “residents” at the Sanctuary for All.

The very well-produced series from creator Damian Kindler (Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Stargate: Atlantis) includes a variety of great effects work, ranging from the subtle (lots of green-screen composites that are seamless) to great make-up and other practical effects. The cast is well rounded and have good writing to guide them through the dark corners of the Sanctuary world. Amanda Tapping is Dr. Helen Magnus; she is revealed as the proprietor of the Sanctuary for All, where she protects the secrets of the world (and netherworld) with her daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup), a headstrong ass-kicking young lady who stalks the creatures of the night and helps her mother with her research. At the center of the story is our main character Dr. Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne), a forensic psychiatrist who has been searching for answers to a tragedy that had befallen him as a child, and whose secrets are revealed to him by Dr. Magnus when he crosses the threshold towards his newfound destiny. Dunne is likable in the role; his keen sense of perception is an asset to the team, and he is equal parts nerd and hero. Henry Foss (Ryan Robbins) is the goofy yet brilliant tech expert at the Sanctuary, and provides the comic relief in the series. The rest of the cast is equally good, and the pilot sets up future relationships with them. Will must now divide his time between the world and the Sanctuary, and hopefully survive the team’s future encounters.

I look forward to reviewing this series, as it seems like a lot of fun and could go somewhere. However, I have only watched the pilot episode, but look for more on here soon.

 

Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse” Series Airdate Still Unconfirmed by FOX

For any new series that hits the networks, any number of issues can cause delays; from production issues to timeslot approvals to shifts in the scheduled line-up for a season, all that viewers really care about is, “When will it be on?” And for the legions of Joss Whedon fans awaiting his highly anticipated new series Dollhouse starring Whedon fave Eliza Dushku, the burning question happens to be “How much longer do we have to wait?”

As with previous Fox outings like Firefly, in which the underrated and short-lived series got screwed by the network, it seems that Fox is giving a home to Dollhouse, but without a move-in date. Despite rumors abound that it could reach airwaves in January to headline the Spring schedule, nothing has been confirmed by the suits at Fox. The show looks to be interesting as usual for Whedon fare, and will likely garner a fan-base early on with webisodes and an already-building online community. Could Fox have another Buffy on their hands, or will Dollhouse go the way of Firefly? As of this month Whedon has defended Fox from any controversy fans may have with the current network execs, fearful that it will end up like the latter. Hopefully, January will be definite and we’ll get a cool new series to watch. Get a glimpse of the Dollhouse below:

Friday the 13th Remake Trailer Online

With regard to remakes, reboots, adaptations, and other potential franchise fare being produced these days, and despite the apprehension that some may have when it comes to these projects, some pop-culture icons that are slated for a new generation are shaping up to provide these stories and characters with new life.

As with his 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, director Marcus Nispel has chosen to take on master slasher Jason Voorhees in a new version of Friday the 13th. Slated for the titular release date in February 2009, Nispel takes the Camp Crystal Lake mythology and updates it to spine-chilling effect. The new trailer has surfaced online, and it looks to be another great blood-soaked, sex-laden romp that looks to pay a sleek  homage to Sean S. Cunningham’s original horror-fest. Check it out below:

James Cameron’s “Battle Angel” Concept Art & Pre-Production Updates

James Cameron’s live-action adaptation of Yukito Kishiro’s Battle Angel Alita was discussed with the guys at MarketSaw3D in an interview with concept artist Mark Goerner. Goerner has worked for years as a concept artist in the game and film industries, and had the opportunity to work on concepting for Battle Angel at Lightstorm Entertainment for about a year-and-a-half before moving on to work on Cameron’s Avatar.

Although it is speculated that this is Cameron’s next project after Avatar, don’t expect to see the post-apocalyptic world of GUNNM anytime soon. A possible 2011 release is being buzzed around online communities. At least we have Avatar to look forward to in 2009 to keep us satiated for the time being.

On the “Fringe” of Prime-Time Television

FRINGE (FOX, Tuesdays 9/8C, TV-14)

Headlining Fox’s 2008 Fall schedule is Fringe, a sci-fi/thriller from masterminds J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci, that is an intense thrill-ride full of suspense, intrigue, and action that is reminiscent of the original season of The X-Files.

The pilot introduces FBI Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), who is recruited into a top-secret sector of the Department of Homeland Security that investigates rather unusual cases. When her partner (and lover) becomes a casualty of the case they are working, she seeks the help of Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble), a brilliant scientist whose past achievements have landed him in an asylum for 17 years. With a little blackmail, she enlists the help of Dr. Bishop’s estranged son Peter (Joshua Jackson) to get access to him. Peter is also a genius like his father, but has instead chose to lead quite a different life.

Now employed with the FBI, Walter and Peter help Agent Dunham and her team, which includes Security Director Phillip Broyles (Lance Reddick), Olivia’s good friend Agent Charlie Francis (Kirk Acevedo) and Agent Astrid Farnsworth (Jasika Nicole) unravel these mysterious happenings. Also introduced is the huge mega-conglomerate called Massive Dynamics that remains shrouded in mystery, and is run by CEO Nina Sharpe (Blair Brown), who prompts some intrigue into these investigations with bits of information regarding “The Pattern”.

The series itself is currently up to Episode 6, and much like Abram’s last epic television outing Lost, each episode is a compelling stand-alone piece that also slowly unravels the secrets of a larger, more insidious tale. What exactly is Massive Dynamics, and what is its ultimate goal? What is “The Pattern”? What is in store for us next week?

The show is impressive on several levels. First, the writing is top-notch, and coming from Abrams, Orci, and Kurtzman, this is to be expected. The high production values (especially the visual effects) rival anything else being currently produced, and although each episode has an almost formulaic cat-and-mouse hunt in the team solving their bizarre cases, each episode is loaded with enough plot twists to keep us engaged to find out the overall story and character arcs.

The characers are also well-developed and are some of the more interesting in recent years. John Noble is particularly excellent as Walter, who is easily my favorite. He is full of quirks, and his lapses between moments of genius and madness are fantastic. He also offers the comic relief in this otherwise tense series. Joshua Jackson is also great as Peter, who never comes off as too cocky or brash for his own good; he is likeable in this role and seems as though his character would be someone you’d want to hang out with. Anna Torv is also good in her role as Olivia; she is a tough yet fragile woman whose emotions help to point her in the right direction when trying to solve a case. Lance Reddick is definitely the hard-ass boss as Broyles, with his no-nonsense, follow-the-orders, need-to-know-basis attitude, but manages to come across as the most trustworthy of characters. Kirk Acevedo is limited in his role as Charlie, he is relegated to the background, but is still a worthy screen presence, and Agent Farnsworth spends most of her time in Walter’s renovated lab in the basement at Harvard.

The series covers a range of interesting and cool ideas such as nanotechology, telekinesis, cryogenics, viral warfare, re-animation, time travel…you get the point. The science is believable fiction and its entertaining suspension-of-disbelief has not disappointed yet. Abrams and crew have another hit on their hands, one that I hope will continue strong over several future seasons.

Evil Dead 4!? (The Sam Raimi ComicCon Interview)

Is Ash coming back after all these years?

Back on July 28th, the great Sam Raimi was interviewed during the San Diego ComicCon whilst promoting his new horror film Drag Me to Hell starring Alison Lohman, and offered up some interesting tidbits on the possibility of resurrecting Ash in a new installment of his Evil Dead series. The last outing was in 1992. It’s been a long time, Sam. A very long time. Groovy.

*NOTE: Bruce Campbell also confirmed in an August interview that he and Raimi were in talks, however nothing has been confirmed as of yet. He went on to explain that if their respective schedules allowed it, that he would love to; on one condition…only Sam is at the helm. Obviously.

Who watches the Watchmen [new trailer]?

The film adaptation of Alan Moore’s iconic cult graphic novel is shaping up to be something quite spectacular. Director Zack Snyder has done a great job translating those pages to the screen. Of course, there will always be its critics, but check out the world premiere trailer that just aired on SpikeTV’s Scream Awards and decide for yourself. Watchmen opens on March 6, 2009. Awesome.

Film Review: “Ator the Invincible” (1982)

In the months following John Milius’ awesome fantasy opus Conan the Barbarian that made the shirtless, bulging pectorals of future California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger famous in the title role, Italian director Joe D’Amato (aka David Hills) decided to rip-off the Austrian-born juggernaut’s character with his own brainchild – Ator.

Starring Miles O’Keefe in the first of what would go on to spawn two sequels throughout the ’80s and into the early ’90s, with its sequel becoming a favorite of Mystery Science Theater fans everywhere, Ator the Invincible sets up the origin story of Ator and his destiny to fulfill his place in a long-winded prophecy about “being the one bearing the mark of Taurin, who will destroy evil” and, well, you know the rest.

So of course, baby Ator must be whisked away from his mother and taken into hiding by the warrior Griba, who will eventually train young Ator into the shirtless, bulging-pecs-of-a-warrior Miles. Ator is taken to another village where he is given to a family to raise as their own. I’ve seen better storylines from my D&D buddies back in high school, but I digress.

This typical fantasy premise is simply regurgitated by the filmmakers, and their lack of production values make it almost unbearable to watch…almost. Personally, I can watch the worst-of-the-worst cinematic trash with utter geeky delight, but I’m sure that many will have pressed stop on the DVD player by this point due to the inane dialogue and “action” sequences that feel as though they were shot and cut by a blind kid.

The production itself is ridiculously cheap-looking, so much so that one winces at the myopic “vision” of its director. D’Amato believed that he had a commercial success on his hands and that Ator would be amongst the ranks of other great fantasy films. Sadly for him, his career has become but a footnote of B-movie history and the laughing stock of audiences; the mere mentioning of his name in any opening credits elicits guffaws from audiences familiar with his work. For the obvious reasons (lack of money, poor script, poor production values, rushed schedule, etc.) D’Amato & company churned out a lackluster film from an actually not-so-poor story. Albeit an unoriginal one, Ator could have been even worse. The story is at least coherent, and has all of the familiar elements to make up a good fantasy-adventure.

Onscreen, the actors ham it up as best they can, such as Dakar (yes, his real name) playing Dakkar the tarantula-clad High Priest of the Spider delivering his [dubbed] heavy and menacing baritone with Shatner-esque timing. The British character actor Edmund Purlom, who once played a role in Joseph Mankiewicz’s Julius Caesar, is here as the warrior Griba, but he is no Obi-Wan Kenobi. Then there is Ator’s love interest and sister (eeew…well, not his real sister, but the girl he grows up with as his sister, whom he marries) Sunya, played by Ritza Brown. I kept wishing that she had been killed off so as not to endure her atrocious acting. Overall, Miles O’Keefe does a decent job with Ator, and pretty much has to carry the film himself, and given with what he had to work with, it’s quite a feat.

If you love cheesy 80s fantasy films, please check out Ator the Invincible as it is highly entertaining and will provide a great less-than-90-minutes of schlock-filled fun. This is still one of my favorites of the era, and one that I believe even warrants a remake. Also, if you get the chance, look for the Ator sequels as well. I picked my copy up in the $1 bin at Wal-Mart, and although my wife hates that I waste my time watching these movies, she understands that is my guilty pleasure. Now indulge yourself with some Miles O’Keefe action as…ATOR!

Ator the Invincible Trailer:

Ator the Invincible 2 (aka The Blade Master) Trailer:

51% Motherfucker, 49% Son-of-a-Bitch

Rob Zombie could be the QT of neo-grindhouse horror. Based on the comic The Nail, which Zombie co-wrote with horror comic god-scribe Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), Tyrannosaurus Rex looks to be one helluva good time. Sherri Moon Zombie will star. Bloody-Disgusting has some interesting plot details here.

#1 Most Anticipated Film of 2009 – James Cameron’s AVATAR

The return of James Cameron to the big-screen with his new sci-fi epic Avatar has fanboys writhing with anticipation. As news slowly seeps out onto the Internet, more of this amazing film is revealed to those not privy enough to be on set. With its release date still more than a year away (December 18, 2009), time cannot pass quickly enough.

For those unfamiliar with Avatar, it had languished in development ever since Cameron first wrote his scriptment back in 1995. The helmer always known for pushing the limits of filmmaking technologies, was unsatisfied with the current technologies at that time to properly produce his epic futuristic tale of interplanetary warfare and colonization.

After the success of Titanic in 1997, Cameron used his unbounded success to explore more interesting endeavors such as his obsession with deep-sea wrecks and the world’s real abysses. Over the better part of nearly a decade, Cameron along with Director of Photography Vince Pace, developed their steroscopic 3D Fusion Camera system in between the production of documentaries like Ghosts of the Abyss and Aliens of the Deep.

The film’s production commenced after it was announced back in 2005, and it wasn’t long before the highly-secretive tentatively-titled Project 880 began leaking rumors throughout online film communities. It was at first believed that Project 880 was Cameron’s long-speculated live-action adaptation of Yukito Kishiro’s manga Battle Angel (now circulating under the pseudonym of Dolphin Project) and will most likely be Cameron’s next endeavor after Avatar to be due in 2011.

Although early drafts of the 80-page scriptment were once available online, they were promptly removed by Lightstorm Entertainment, leaving only remnants for the rest of us get but a glimpse of what’s to come. The story is pure Cameron sci-fi, and centers around an ex-marine named Jake Sully who is thrust into an interplanetary war where humans have left earth to terraform and exploit the distant world of Pandora and its indigenous species for a rare material called unobotanium. With humans being unable to survive on Pandora, they assume the form of an “avatar”, which allows them to inhabit an artificial body as its handler. Jake eventually forms a bond with the indigenous Pandorans - the Na’vi - and helps them to rise up against the human oppressors. Some detractors have called the story boring and preachy with its themes of acculturation and environmentalism (as if that’s something bad); knowing Cameron’s work, we will all be in for the ride of our lives with what he calls “crazy, balls-out sci-fi”.

Cameron and his team have not only revolutionized the digital production pipeline for this and future generations of filmmakers with their pioneering technology and techniques, but these techno-wizards are crafting films that continue to push the limits of the imagination. Working with long-time collaborator Rob Legato, Cameron has a virtual production studio that allows him to utilize “synthespians” in environments generated in real-time and in stereoscopic 3D.

Avatar also reunites Cameron with his Aliens star Sigourney Weaver as a xenobotanist; Australian actor Sam Worthington plays Jake, and Zoe Saldana as a Na’vi princess. The cast also includes Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, and Laz Alonso. Although everyone involved with the film has had to be extremely tight-lipped about the production, what they have disclosed is that it was an extraordinary experience. The film wrapped principal photography earlier this year and has moved into its insanely daunting post-production schedule at full speed.

In recent interviews with Tom Rothman, the Chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment, he has been quoted as saying that the footage he has seen thus far is “the coolest shit [he's] ever seen.” Next year has quite a slateful of huge movies, but everyone knows to steer clear of December and what could be the film to usher in a new era in cinema. Until more is known, we will just have to wait…