Welcome to The Extras! A daily dose of all the smaller movie related news, clips and just plain cool stuff that you might have missed!
Just yesterday I posted the Japanese trailer for Pixar’s Brave and opined on the fact that somehow the Asian flavour just made the film seem that much more epic. Well, if you’re still not convinced on that argument, then allow me to present Exhibit B:
There have been stories flying around that Sylvester Stallone is editing the final cut of Walter Hill’s Bullet to the Head, but old Stroke-Mouth (What? You can’t tell me you haven’t thought it?) himself contacted Harry at AICN to set the record straight:
“…an egregious lie, I have nothing to do with the editing to BULLET TO THE HEAD. Walter is doing a FANTASTIC job! I think it is a FANTASTIC job and he’s editing it!”
Ever since posting that hilariously atrocious He-Man fan film, I have been feeling a tad guilty. You guys are a great audience. You’ve never threatened to murder or anything. You simply didn’t deserve to be subjected that. So as a means of making amends, I bring you this significantly better CGI fan film of Superman going toe to toe with the Hulk.
Drew Goddard’s directorial debut Cabin in the Woods is about to be released at the SXSW Film Festival and while there STYD caught up with the writer to give an update on another eagerly anticipated film on his rapidly filling up plate: Cloverfield 2 – the sequel to his, Matt Reeves (director) and JJ Abrams’ (producer) found footage monster movie.
“I’m in, I’m ready to do it. Someone call J.J. and tell him to get moving, but because Matt and J.J. and I have been fortunate enough to be busy, it’s hard syncing our schedules up. We’re all very passionate about returning to that world.”
When asked about what the sequel would possibly be about:
“If you asked each of us what we wanted to do, you’ll get three different answers, which is how the first film was. The aesthetic of Cloverfield benefits from that. Three voices pulling it. Look, nothing would make me happier than to get the three of us in the room to get started.”
He then added with a laugh:
“But you’ve got this Star Trek thing…”
What’s your favourite film shot/technique? What do you mean you don’t have one? And you call yourself a film geek… I have several film shots I love, but standing head and shoulders, unblinking, above the rest is the extended take. A study in patience, skill and logistics, it is one of the hardest shots to pull off, but one of the most awe-inspiring when done successfully. Colloquially speaking, I lose my sh!t when I encounter a direct that does it brilliantly.
So imagine my joy in finding this article on Movies.com on their 10 Best Extended Takes in Film. Personally I rate the final shot of Alfonso Cuaron’s masterpiece, Children of Men, as my favourite of all time, with the film’s car chase scene a close second. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a version to embed so you can view them HERE and HERE.
Alfonso Cuaron’s next film, Gravity, is supposed to be nothing but a collection of almost 20 minute long extended takes.
We love The Muppets around these parts, so pretty much anything to do with them, no matter how trivial, will get a look from me. And if that thing just so happens to be be a trailer for their currently playing movie in which they parody The Hunger Games, well then I’m going to make damn sure you know about it.
Fashionably Geeky has this E.T replica glove now available for pre-order. Yeah, that totally doesn’t look creepy at all, guys.
I expect this to be showing up in home-made porn movies real soon. (What? I have an over-active imagination!)
And finally, we end today on what is simply and astounding piece of film making. Christian Pfeil is obviously not one to shy away from a creative challenge. The young film maker has made this awesome two and half minute film about ninjas, but it’s not the inclusion of those Asian assassins that make this stand out. It’s the fact that it was filmed with a RED Epic X camera rigged to a remote controlled Om-Copter. This results in some amazing tracking shots, as the camera can literally go anywhere and everywhere. Word is that Peter Jackson will be employing the same technique for some shots in The Hobbit.
And so the time has come for me to bid you adieu. Unfortunately, just like that itchy burning sensation you experience when you pee, I’m probably going to be back later.
Last Updated: March 7, 2012
James Francis
March 7, 2012 at 16:56
Pedobear would approve of that E.T. finger… The Hulk/Sups fights are awesome, but it conclude yet. But then again, I’d hate to put money on that fight… Nice find!