WarnerBrothers Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Making The (Up) Grade: The Wizard Of Oz
Filed under: DVD Reviews », Family Films », Home Entertainment »
If Hollywood's vast abundance of remakes, spinoffs and sequels weren't enough to kill your appetite for spending money on "new" entertainment, it seems like almost every one of these releases finds its way onto home video in multiple forms. Sometimes the studios issue different iterations of a film all at the same time, in a thankful moment of honesty that at least allows consumers the option of which version they want. More often, though, the studios will re-release, expand and double-dip their top earners time and time again in order to wring out a few more dollars from the less dull entries in their back catalogue. And especially now, during the still-early days of Blu-ray, there's even more new and different editions being released in stores, some of which are honest-to-Jah improvements on the presentation and packaging, while others are merely the next generation of mediocrity.
As such, we're launching the first installment of "Making The (Up) Grade," a comparison of some of the more high-profile (or maybe just personally-preferred) Blu-ray releases. And with Warner Brothers' deluxe reissue of The Wizard of Oz arriving in stores this week, it seemed like a good place to start to let readers (and eventually, consumers) determine with a little more specificity what you will be buying (or not buying) if you trade in an older edition for a newer one. To wit:
Exclusive: 'Where the Wild Things Are' Character Banners, IMAX Poster
Filed under: Warner Brothers », Fandom », Exhibition », Family Films », Posters »
Cinematical has received four exclusive new character banners and the final IMAX poster for Where the Wild Things Are, the eagerly anticipated Spike Jonze adaptation of Maurice Sendak's timeless children's picture book. In fact, for people born after the book's first publication in 1963, Where the Wild Things Are may just be the most anticipated release left on the 2009 calendar. I can't recall the last time - if there ever even was one - a simple trailer for a film was met with such an overwhelming degree of universal admiration (watch both trailers after the jump), which leads me to believe the five posters in the collage above and the ones in the gallery below are bound to adorn the walls of dorm rooms, home theaters, and living rooms around the world.
And that's not just blind hyperbole for a movie I am deeply looking forward to. I've seen the trailer for Where the Wild Things Are cause grown men to shed tears. And while I may not share so strong a reaction to it, it's hard to deny that Spike Jonze's gift for truly beautiful imagery combined with Dave Eggers' (the brilliant author behind the WTWTA adapted screenplay) talent for reducing all of us to vulnerable children has created a palpable tingle in the film loving air.
Warner Brothers shows us Where the Wild Things Are in IMAX and regular theaters on October 16th.
Check out the new banners and poster in the gallery below, along with the previously-released banners and poster.
Kevin Smith to Direct 'A Couple of Dicks'!?
Filed under: Deals », Fandom »
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Before Zack and Miri Make a Porno hit movie theaters, I sat down for an extensive conversation/lunch with writer-director Kevin Smith where we talked all things, well, Kevin Smith. During that conversation (and the subsequent press junkets), Smith stated that he wanted his next film to be the kinda-sorta horror flick Red State, or a sci-fi comedy potentially starring Seth Rogen. Now, however, ERC is reporting that Warner Bros. has signed Smith to direct the comedy A Couple of Dicks (yup, he's leaving The Weinstein Co.!), starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan. Additionally, ERC says that Warners has already given the film a January 29, 2010 release date.
But here's the most fascinating part of this whole thing: A Couple of Dicks was not written by Kevin Smith -- instead, it was written by Robb and Marc Cullen, and it was featured on the 2008 Blacklist (which is a not-so-secret list of the year's best unproduced screenplays in town). The brief synopsis listed goes as follows: "Two veteran LAPD detectives attempt to track down a stolen, mint-condition, 1952 baseball card." Originally, Robin Williams was set to star in the comedy back when the Cullen brothers were also directing, but he wound up suing the production company when they pulled out and told him they were no longer making the movie (read more at Variety).
So is the film back on now with Kevin Smith behind the camera? And will Smith rewrite the script to make it more of his own? We've sent a note to Kevin to see if this is all legit and will report back with his response.
Fan Rant: Please Stop Kickin' 'The Box'
Filed under: Drama », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Thrillers », Mystery & Suspense », Warner Brothers », Distribution », Family Films », Remakes and Sequels », Fan Rant »
Last month, I weighed aloud the notion of relocating oft-delayed con man crime caper The Brothers Bloom just one more time, to somewhere out from under the shadows of many May blockbusters. Summit's reaction to that piece was prompt yet delicate -- they merely blackmailed Universal into moving Bruno away from Bloom's NY/LA bow.
This time around, my latest open letter to futility is being CC'ed to Warner Bros., as my concern now lies with the latest move of Richard Kelly's bumped-and-then-some thriller, The Box, starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden as a couple forced to weigh the cost of one life against a chance at considerable wealth. (In other words, they get to slip into the shoes of Hollywood executives.)
Fanboy Freakout: Chris Nolan Not Making 'Batman 3' His Next Film?!
Filed under: Deals », Fandom », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand »
Just when we thought Warner Bros. was ready to tie Christopher Nolan to a really uncomfortable stool and force him to write the script to the next Batman film comes news that the same studio is actually eager to have the man direct something else first. Variety tells us that Warners is looking to get Nolan to direct a film called Inception (which he also wrote). Described as "a big-scale spec script" and "a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind [THR]," there's no word on what this is about* (or whether it involves bats or bat men), but the studio is aiming to begin production on the sci-fi flick this summer for a release the following summer of 2010. One imagines Warners would try to lock Nolan up for both Inception and the next Batman film, and perhaps the only way he'd agree to do the latter was if they let him direct the former first. But that's just wild speculation on our part; fact is, we're dying to know what Inception is about, who it will star and how long it will be until the next Batman movie heats up. Something tells us summer 2011 is the best bet.
What do you think of Nolan making this film his next project? Also, does anyone know what this Inception is or was or is about to become?
*Cinematical reader dd tells us that Inception is about "a war for the colonization of Venus."
Poll: How Many Batman Movies Should They Make?
Filed under: Action », Fandom », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels », Polls »
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Does this current Batman franchise have the legs to go the Harry Potter route and churn out, say, eight films all together? Or has Christopher Nolan and Co. crafted the sort of universe that should come to a close after a third film? We ask this now because during a recent Warner Brothers conference call, CEO Jeff Bewkes made mention that they're interested in spinning Batman, Superman and Sherlock Holmes into potential multi-film franchises a la Harry Potter. He says, "The obvious thing we're going to take from it is more Dark Knight. We look at Harry Potter ... It's fantastic to have franchises that last that long. We want to do that with Batman and Superman and perhaps Sherlock Holmes. The sequels are as good, with new characters added, as were the originals. That wasn't the case in the years ago."
But will turning a franchise like Batman into an eight-picture epic mean that, like the previous franchise, those latter sequels will churn out crap? There's no way Christopher Nolan (or Christian Bale, for that matter) will remain involved for eight Batman films (he'll probably stop at three or mayyybe four), and so we'll be right back to finding a new director and a new Batman ... and then fans begin to squirm a little in their seats. Obviously Warners wants to turn this sucker into a cash cow, but there's definitely something to be said for a lean, mean trilogy featuring all the same actors and filmmakers.
So, I ask you: How many Batman films should they craft out of this current franchise?
[via Silicon Alley Insider]
Read This: The Story Behind Hollywood Studio Logos
Filed under: Fandom », Newsstand »
Have you ever wondered how, exactly, the Hollywood studios came up with their logos? No, not really? It's cool, I've never given much thought to it either, but the folks over at Neatorama did, and they tracked down the stories behind the logos for Dreamworks SKG (boy fishing on a moon), MGM (which was your favorite lion?), 20th Century Fox, Paramount (are those real mountains?), Warner Brothers and Columbia Pictures (who's that torch lady again?). It's a rather fascinating read, if only to learn the names behind the artists who created some of the more recognizable images in film history.
From the Dreamworks SKG description: "Spielberg wanted the logo for DreamWorks to be reminiscent of Hollywood's golden age. The logo was to be a computer generated image of a man on the moon, fishing, but Visual Effects Supervisor Dennis Muren of Industrial Light and Magic, who has worked on many of Spielberg's films, suggested that a hand-painted logo might look better. Muren asked his friend, artist Robert Hunt to paint it. Hunt also sent along an alternative version of the logo, which included a young boy on a crescent moon, fishing. Spielberg liked this version better, and the rest is history. Oh, and that boy? It was Hunt's son, William."
Check out the rest over on Neatorama. Which logo is your personal favorite? (And is it weird to have a favorite Hollywood studio logo?)
Warner Bros. Talks DC Comics, 'Justice League' and The Next Batman Movie
Filed under: Action », RumorMonger », Fandom », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels »
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What's really going on over at Warner Bros. regarding their superhero properties? Is Justice League still moving forward? Has Christopher Nolan already signed on to direct a third Batman film? Will they attempt a move similar to what Marvel is doing and plot out solid solo flicks before combining worlds? Well, Variety recently spoke with Warners Chief Alan Horn, production prexy Jeff Robinov and Gregory Noveck, senior VP of creative affairs for DC Comics, and they brought back a few answers regarding all this fun stuff.
Firstly, a deal is officially on the table for Chris Nolan to (we assume) co-write and direct a third Batman film, however he hasn't made a decision yet. Horn said, "We have no idea where Chris is going with this. We haven't had any conversations with him about it." Hopefully an announcement on that front will arrive soon. With Justice League, Warners does eventually want to make it, but it definitely seems the early bad buzz from within the fanboy community is what put the breaks on this one.
Originally, it looked as if Warners was going to use JLA to launch solo efforts for a bunch of DC properties. Now, however, we're hearing a different tune. Horn notes they want to turn "the properties into viable movie product in an intelligent way so that we introduce them like planes on a runway. They have to be set up the right way and lined up the right way and all take off one at a time and fly safe and fly straight." So then what does this mean for the future of Justice League ... ?
WB at Comic-Con: 'Watchmen' Plus Robots and Clones and Ninjas (Oh My!)
Filed under: Warner Brothers », Fandom », ComicCon »
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Repeat after me, in a drone-like voice if necessary: "I am very happy that my friends, colleagues, and thousands of complete strangers will be attending Comic-Con while I am stuck at home, pining away pitifully on my battered old laptop." Seriously, even though I won't be in attendance, I am eager to read all the cool movie news that should be emanating from San Diego starting on July 23.
Erik has already detailed the events arranged by 20th Century Fox, and now Cinematical has gotten a look at what Warner Brothers has planned -- and it looks pretty good, my friends. Panels have been scheduled for Watchmen, with director Zack Snyder, Terminator Salvation, with the always entertaining McG, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, with director Dave Filoni, producer Catherine Winder, and, I'll bet, a large army of Storm Troopers trampling the unwary.
Jeremy Piven, Ludacris (AKA Chris Bridges) and Mr. Madonna (AKA Guy Ritchie) will talk RocknRolla, while Rain (AKA Korean sensation Ji Hoon Jung) will excite fangirls -- though I can't guarantee he'll dress the part -- as Ninja Assassin, with director James McTeigue and fellow star Naomie Harris. The new version of Friday the 13th will also be spotlighted, with Jared Padalecki and Derek Meaks ready to talk Crystal Lake and hockey masks.
As always, film talent is tentative, but the Cinematical talent is confirmed and will be on hand to provide great coverage that should make us all wish we were there.
'A Star is Born' Into a New Resolution
Filed under: Classics », Warner Brothers », Tech Stuff », Home Entertainment »
I love seeing old film. I'm glad that I first saw Touch of Evil in an old theater with a gritty and grainy copy. I wouldn't be too thrilled to see a current film that way, but there's just something about the mixture of squiggles and grains on a piece of old film that makes the oldies pop and become a whole different experience.However, the more time that passes, the more damaged film becomes, and restorative measures have to be taken. And of course, not everyone wants those squiggles. The Hollywood Reporter posts that Warner Bros. Technical Operations is restoring George Cukor's A Star is Born in 6K resolution as a test run. Right now, most restoration is at 2K, and an increasing amount are done at 4K, but of course, that still loses a lot of information. So, this is the first jump into even more.
The project is scheduled to take four-six months, and at some point, this restored version will then get released on Blue-ray and normal DVD. This is a test run, but who knows what's next? What old WB films would you like to see get the 6K treatment?
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