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Top Ten Summer Movies - “Scene Selection” Reviews
Posted by Alex Kartman on Tuesday, September 15, 2009
This was a good summer for movies. I find it increasingly difficult to differentiate how great one summer is from the next. Last year there was “Dark Knight,” “Wall-E” and “Iron Man.” Before that there was “Transformers, “Bourne Ultimatum,” and “Stardust.” Each year has a handful of great summer flicks, but this summer seemed to really stand apart as having a great lineup of blockbusters and surprises.
Here are my top 10 films of the summer of 2009 on this week in “Scene Selection.”
10) ‘Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince‘ was an impressive spectacle with the effects and camera work to wow, but ultimately the plot lacked something to make it truly great. It did deliver on great characters, and the angst of a teenager. It is one of the best in the series, ranking second to “Prisoner in Azkaban” in my opinion. Look out for “The Deathly Hallows” next year.
9) ‘Public Enemies‘ hit the right notes for me. I know many people hate it, but the style really worked for me for what it did to break away from unwritten Hollywood rules. The plot was never meant to be deep because the legend was stripped away, and for once we were given a biopic of John Dillinger without his lore. It also had the best shootout sequences of the year, with two masterful scenes that deliver the standoffs.
Director Duncan Jones behind the scenes of 'Moon'
8) ‘Moon‘ was an interesting sci-fi flick that looked great for a low budget flick, and was well acted, but it remained unconvincing as a revolutionary pic due to its predictability. It was great to have a different type of antagonist that was not who we thought it would be. It also was one of those special summer films that left me thinking for days after viewing it. Its themes are excellent and it is well worth seeing.
Posts Tagged ‘star trek’
Top Ten Summer Movies - “Scene Selection” Reviews
Posted by Jeff Otto on Tuesday, September 15, 2009
By Jeff Otto
movieset.com
Five Reasons Star Trek is Now Cooler Than Star Wars
Remember back in early 1999 when Star Wars was still cool and you couldn’t wait for the prequels? After decades of teasing, new Star Wars movies were about to hit the big screen and anticipation was palpable. Pictures from set in Vanity Fair revealed Ewan McGregor in the trademark brown robes, the menacing red and black face paint of Darth Maul and those iconic green and red lightsabers glowing for the first time in decades. Fanboys hearts went aflutter, some going so far as to camp outside the theater for weeks beforehand. Finally, Star Wars was about to make its triumphant return!
Princess Leia?
And then the bubble burst. Phantom Menace hit screens in May of 1999 and something just wasn’t quite right. It was long and slow-moving; it had a racially questionable, highly annoying CG character named Jar-Jar Binks; and even the kid who was to become Darth Vader wasn’t too likable. There was no denying the fact that it just wasn’t a very good movie, plain and simple.
Still, fan loyalty held strong, dismissing the misstep as an origin story that would allow Lucas to knock the dust off his director’s cap and really dig into the action when he got to the long-awaited Clone War story-line of part two. The end result of the lamely titled Attack of the Clones was similar, a movie arguably worse that Phantom Menace featuring a love story so excruciating we were all practically begging for more Jar-Jar.
Finally, in 2005, Revenge of the Sith wrapped things up with a final thud. It was better than the first two, but still far short of the original trilogy. Most impressively (and devastatingly), it succeeded in systematically destroying the ultimate baddie Darth Vader once and for all, leaving the horrible imagery of Hayden Christensen’s whiny interpretation and, worst yet, that unforgettably horrible, “Nooooooooooooo!” forever burned into our brain.
Or Seven of Nine?
When news of a similar reboot approach to the Star Trek movie franchise surfaced a few years back, skeptics worried that Kirk, Spock and the Enterprise might suffer the very same fate. Then J.J. Abrams was announced as director and hope sprang alive. As the creator of Lost, Alias and director of the entertainingly disposable Mission Impossible III and producer of the creative low budget monster pic Cloverfield, Abrams represented a fresh approach from a filmmaker in his prime as opposed to Lucas’ desperate attempt to reclaim the glory days and cash in on past achievements.
Star Trek hit screens in May of 2009 and and the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Praised by Trekkies and critics alike, Abrams had accomplished the rare genre feet of a crossover blockbuster even laymen could enjoy. Not only was Star Trek back, but for arguably the first time in the franchise’s existence, it was actually cool.
It’s been ten years since Lucas first tainted the Star Wars legend with Phantom Menace. In contrast, Star Trek is going strong, raking in almost $400 million worldwide box office in the summer of 2009 and a highly anticipated string of sequels are heading into production. The sudden turn of events begs the question, is Star Trek now cooler than Star Wars?
The List
Posts Tagged ‘star trek’
Top Ten Summer Movies - “Scene Selection” Reviews
Posted by Dave on Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The Star Trek ‘Director’s Cut’ Sweepstakes is over
and we have a winner of the Grand Prize pack
Scott W of Schertz, Texas wins a jumbo prize pack including 2 framed film cell pieces and a unique press backgrounder signed by Director JJ Abrams.
He says:
Yay!!!!! Swag!!!! JJ Abrams Swag!!!!!!!!!
Here’s what you won:
(1) Star Trek media backgrounder signed by Director JJ Abrams
Collected by MovieSet correspondent Quinn Bender at the Star Trek press junket in LA, this is a photo-copied media hand-out filled with behind the scenes stories, challenges and anecdotes from the making of Star Trek. Comes with a MovieSet COA.
(2) Framed and numbered Star Trek film cells art pieces
Each features mini-poster art from Star Trek (2009), surrounded by hand-picked film cells depicting action from the film with Certificate of Authenticity and a black frame ready for hanging.
Wanted to win?
No doubt of the huge passion and enthusiasm from this legendary fanbase for this sweepstakes (who doesn’t want cool prizes anyhow?) But perhaps you are kinda ticked off because you didn’t win because you entered everyday? Well there is some good news after the break.
Posts Tagged ‘star trek’
Top Ten Summer Movies - “Scene Selection” Reviews
Posted by Dave on Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Star Trek: The Mission Continues… Sweepstakes!
The Star Trek franchise is re-booted and you are invited to come aboard and enter to win one of three pieces of Star Trek history. Ideal for your displaying on your bridge or Holodeck.
Your mission is simple: Fill out the entry form daily for a chance to win framed film cell art pieces featuring Kirk, Spock and Uhura and more of the Enterprise crew. Then, enjoy some alternate reality relaxation with MovieSet’s collection of behind the scenes videos, news and still photos from the making of Star Trek.
Prizes: Three limited edition, 9.5″ x 11.5″ framed film cells - Each comes with a Certificate of Authenticity to ensure quality.
- 1st Prize - poster art of Kirk, Spock and Uhura surrounded by 12 film cells
- 2nd Prize - photo signed by Zachary Quinto as Spock with 10 film cells
- 3rd Prize - Enterprise crew action poster art with 10 film cells & plaque
Posts Tagged ‘star trek’
Top Ten Summer Movies - “Scene Selection” Reviews
Posted by Dave on Tuesday, September 15, 2009
MovieSet roving correspondent Phillipe Nakov captured a bushel of snapshots of some of the creative and well-executed fan costumes from Comic Con. Here are the previous 2 installments plus part 3 of the Fan Costume Round-up, complete with Phillipe’s witticisms.
Remember to check out coverage of Comic Con San Diego on MovieSet and Enjoy the parade of super-fans!
- Zombies, Superheros and Oddballs - More Comic Con Fan Costumes
- Comic Con Crazy Costumes - Film Fans go all out in San Diego
Don’t worry, she doesn’t bite… but she’ll burn you up! Comic-Con 2009. 7/24/09.
Posts Tagged ‘star trek’
Top Ten Summer Movies - “Scene Selection” Reviews
Posted by grip on Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Star Trek ‘Director’s Cut’ Sweepstakes
No doubt you saw the new Star Trek movie - in fact you probably saw it twice because you are a true fan of the Star Trek universe.
In honor of this exciting installment of the Star Trek story, MovieSet assembled a prize-pack worthy of a hardcore fan including a press backgrounder signed by Director JJ Abrams who brought this dynamic installment of Star Trek to life, plus a pair of numbered and framed Star Trek film cell art pieces to display on your own bridge, den or bedroom.
Be sure to explore the collection of behind the scenes Star Trek videos, pictures and news at MovieSet.com.
The Star Trek Director’s Cut Sweepstakes runs from June 25 until Aug. 1 2009 - Enter daily for more chances to win.
One Lucky Winner Scores a Grand Prize Pack with:
(1) Star Trek media backgrounder signed by Director JJ Abrams
Collected by MovieSet correspondent Quinn Bender at the Star Trek press junket in LA, this is a photo-copied media hand-out filled with behind the scenes stories, challenges and anecdotes from the making of Star Trek. Comes with a MovieSet COA.
(2) Framed and numbered Star Trek film cells art pieces
Each features mini-poster art from Star Trek (2009), surrounded by hand-picked film cells depicting action from the film with Certificate of Authenticity and a black frame ready for hanging.
SO ENTER THE CONTEST
Posts Tagged ‘star trek’
Top Ten Summer Movies - “Scene Selection” Reviews
Posted by grip on Tuesday, September 15, 2009
I won I won!
Earlier in May, MovieSet started a Star Trek Sweepstakes where you could win tons of free Star Trek gear! We were giving out tons of prizes, and we got TONS of entries!
So CONGRATULATIONS to Kyle T of Kinston, North Carolina! He’s our Grand Prize winner, meaning he takes home a poster signed by the cast, as well as some other top notch Star Trek goodies!
Wow, thanks for the cool prizes, I’ll be sure to visit your site regularly! - Kyle T
No Problem Buddy!
But that’s not all!
We also had 5 first place winners and 10 runner ups which means in total we had 16 winners taking home some cool Star Trek gear! So congrats to Keith R. from Toledo OH, Laura C. of Clifton Heights PA, Josh L. from Albany NY, Melissa S. from Point Pleasant NJ and Denyse G. from Seminol FL. They all won the “First Place” prize!
Also we have Joel B. of Charlottesville VA, David H. from Monroe VA, Lisa D. of Starkville MS, Max F. from Columbus OH, Elaine K. of La Quinta CA, Shanna M. from Cape Fair MO, Eric W. B. from Sun Prairie WI and David S. from Ashville NY! Whew! Those guys all won the ‘Runner Up’ Prize.
Congrats guys!
Here’s a list of what we we gave away
Grand Prize- (1) Star Trek one sheet signed by cast
- (1) Star Trek movie Enterprise Model
- (4) Movie passes
- (1) CD Soundtrack of movie
.
- First Prize
- (5) Star Trek the Movie Tie-in Paper back
- (5) Set of 10 Limited Edition Trading cards
- (5) Pair of movie tickets
- (5) CD Soundtrack from Star Trek movie
.
- Runner Up Prizes
- (10) Star Trek the Movie Tie-in Paper back
- (10) Pairs of movie tickets
- (10) CD Soundtrack from Star Trek movie
.
Feeling left out?
You should! The transporter room is empty, and Scotties not going to beam you to this party!
But fear not! For we have MORE contests with MORE prizes, just waiting for you to win them, including a 2 person trip to Las Vegas as part of our Hangover Sweepstakes!
So for your chance to win one of the many prizes we are always giving away at MovieSet, check out our other contests for your chance to win cool stuff from your favorite movies!
The Hangover and Transformers 2 Sweepstakes!
Posts Tagged ‘star trek’
Top Ten Summer Movies - “Scene Selection” Reviews
Posted by Dave on Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Here’s a round-up of articles about filmmaking, screenwriting, film promotion which caught my eye over the past few days, … enjoy this buffet of useful behind the scenes anecdotes from throughout the phases of a film’s life.
Distribution
Sure lots of actors have blogs and Twitter account but it’s nice to see an actor really laying it out with Zachary Quinto does. He’s laid down a stream of consciousness style rundown of the release and promotion tour of Star Trek.
In S. N. Love it…, ZQ talks about the whirlwind of appearing on Saturday Night Live, rocking the after-party and heading to an early morning flight to Tokyo for another premiere.
“tokyo premiere…
all is settled…
it has been a while. travels have brought me home. took a few days of relative solitude to let things breathe. the last leg of the trip was absolutely raucous and exhausting. mostly because all of us realized the imminent conclusion of such an epic adventure and wanted to make the most of it. went back and forth between la and new york a few times. then touched down in tokyo for a blink before coming home and seeking some desert revelation. highlight of the trips to nyc? unsurprisingly… SNL. such a mindblowing convergence of childhood dreams and creative freedom. i mean - come on. gilda radner?! kevin nealon! jan hooks & phil hartman!!! the history of genius and hilarity and instinct. the possibility of it all the cast and writers could not have been more generous or welcoming. justin timberlake slaughtered it. and all i can say is: SNL knows how to throw an after party. and after after party. suffice it to say i boarded my 8:30 sunday morning flight to tokyo with literally no sleep. not being hyperbolic. but it all evened out. in the end - and i welcome all of your support in this matter - the simple fact remains: i must host saturday night live imminently. we’re working on it. to be sure. tokyo was a brief delight. whet my appetite more than anything. there was karaoke until the wee hours after the premiere. to be sure. john cho definitely gave the most rousing rendition of lionel ritchie’s hello that i have ever heard. to be sure. that boy can sing. go see his band in la sometime. all told… we all went for it. all around. and now the movie’s out. official travel has concluded. for the most part i have switched into life mode again. i will likely be laying low the next couple weeks to solidify next steps and gather momentum before the door. a sincere and direct thank you to all of my fans who have followed my exploits and supported our travels and adventures. glad to have been able to share some of it with you since you are ultimately the reason that it’s possible. thanks for seeing the film in such impressive numbers and please keep spreading the word. we’ll keep information and ideas flowing through. and i will most certainly check in again soon. in the meantime. some photos. and please don’t miss the merkin interview. seriously. my favorite interview from the entire press tour. to be sure. be well all. see you soon. zq.
one late night at a bar in the lower east side. blue light glasses anyone?”
The no-paragraph-break-style and real-time narrative hearkens to beat generation writer Jack Kerouac, … Hmmm Zack Quinto as Kerouac’s alter-ego Ray Smith in On the Road? That sounds pretty solid to me.
While you’re there, check out his video interview with co-star, The Quinto & Pine “Bromance” Interview.
Production
The Substreams’ Film Lab is, “where we will show you how to do your thing, on the cheap, without sucking.” Yup videos served up with equal does of practical info and dry humor. Here are a few segments to get the acerbic/dramatic flavor.
Pre-Production Paperwork 1 - Paperwork is a hoot!
Pre-Production
Here’s an interview at the super useful site Filmmaking Stuff - a trove of information. They interviewed Vancouver-based filmmaking veteran Peter D. Marshall. Here’s a great segment about organizing your proejcts by tasks, managing extras budgets and seeing a shot come together.
Filmmaking Stuff
Making a movie is tough. And it’s common for filmmakers to get overwhelmed with details. Could you tell us a little about The Reductionism Theory.
Peter D. Marshall
Reductionism, as described by Wikipedia, is “an approach to understanding the nature of complex things by reducing them to the interactions of their parts, or to simpler or more fundamental thing.”
In other words, the Reductionism Theory states that “most anything can be understood by taking its pieces apart, studying them and then putting them back together so you can see the larger picture.” For our purposes as filmmakers, we use the Reductionism Breakdown Theory as the process of “reducing a script down to its smallest elements by going from large to small, from general to specific.”
Formula: Things You Don’t Know + Research = Things You Do Know
{snip}
Filmmaking Stuff - One area you really brought to my attention is the extras budget. It’s funny, but in my experience this has been an area where filmmakers drop the ball. Can you tell us a little about the extras budget and why it is so essential?
Peter D. Marshall - The Extras budget is usually the only budget the AD department has to manage. You start by getting the Extras budget from the Production Manager which is usually listed in “man hours” for the show.
After you have a preliminary schedule, you begin your first pass on the extras count by deciding how many background performers you feel you need to have for each scene. Since you do this budget very early in prep, this number probably won’t be based on a real location, but will come from your own experience and from reading the script. (re: How many people will it take to fill a nightclub when the script says “the club is busy and jammed with patrons and dancers.”)
You should budget high for all extras because every director will want as many extras as they can for a scene. As all film budgets do, the extras budget will eventually be cut down, but at least you have a good starting point.
This meeting is very important for many departments because of the overlap that occurs with extras (Hair, Makeup, Costumes etc.) This is also the meeting where the Assistant Directors can have some creative input with the Director on the number and the look of the extras as well. Of course, your creative involvement here will always depend on your relationship with the Director at this point in prep.
Let me give you an example of the logistics involved when working with a large group of extras.
I was the First Assistant Director on the Second Unit Battle Sequence for the movie “Legends of the Fall.” I was also tasked with the job (along with the Military Advisor) to set up and train the 1000 extras who would be in the WW1 battle scenes. We had less than 2 weeks to do all this.
We spent the first week working out all of the logistics; confirming these with Director Ed Zwick and his storyboards; planning the event down to the smallest detail with the Props and Costume departments who had to dress and arm all of the extras; and had many conversations with Special Effects who had 25 special effects people who were responsible for setting off all the explosions on the battlefield as the troops charged over it - at night!
We then had the second week to set up and train the main battle group of about 200 extras who played the officers and NCOs (non-commissioned officers) of the 9 sections it would take to fill the battlefield.
On the day of the scene, (it was actually shot at night) we were only budgeted for 4 hours of rehearsal in the daylight with the entire 1000 extras! From the time the first extra got off the bus at base camp, to the last extra marching into their place in the trenches, it was 1 1/2 hours later.
When actor Adin Quinn blew his whistle and the camera pulled back on the crane to see 1000 Canadian “soldiers” climb out of the trenches and charge across a battlefield as hundreds of explosions rocked our insides and flares screamed over our heads, we knew we had helped to create a very memorable scene in this movie.
Filmmaking Stuff
Your course reads a lot like a living document. On almost every page, you’ve expanded on the content by providing a link to other, similar information. I’ve read a lot of filmmaking stuff, and I can’t remember the last time an author has been so generous.
Peter D. Marshall
I feel it is very important to “pass the baton” to the younger generation and that is why I hold nothing back when it comes to sharing my knowledge with other filmmakers. I also love teaching!
About 15 years ago, I created a 2-day workshop called “How to Design an Accurate Film Shooting Schedule.” As the film and television industry changed and grew over the years, I modified the content of that workshop to keep up to date with all the new filmmaking techniques I was learning. That 2-day workshop has now become the model for this Online course.
Development
Finally, the Mystery Man on Film who offers up, “Screenwriting news and in-depth analysis from a devoted, yet mysterious, student of the craft.” I enjoyed his posting of the Raiders of the Lost Ark development meetings and recommend this chronicling of Lucas’ Star Wars project from a screenwriting, story-arc perspective.
Here’s a snippet from A Long Time Ago..
I tried my very best to read all six drafts - May 1974,July 1974, January 1975, August 1975, January 1976, and February 1977. Yeah, that was a bit much. Each one of those suckers is filled with about 30,000 words.So I’d like to concentrate on the very first draft, which was titled simply The Star Wars. (Lucas would go on to title later drafts Star Wars: Adventures of the Starkiller, God help us all, but thankfully, he came to his senses and in the end stuck with Star Wars: A New Hope.)
Let it be said, my friends, that the early drafts of Star Wars should be a rich source of encouragement to every aspiring screenwriter the world over - because they royally sucked.
Bonus
Say hello to MovieSet at the Cannes Film Festival Community.
Posts Tagged ‘star trek’
Top Ten Summer Movies - “Scene Selection” Reviews
Posted by grip on Tuesday, September 15, 2009
MovieSet is bringing you TONS of sweepstakes in the upcoming months and now is your chance to win. Check out the hosts of The Behind the Scenes Show while they explain what YOU need to do to win some of the galaxy of prizes that awaits you!
To help celebrate the arrival of ‘Star Trek,’ one of the most anticipated movies of the year, we’re giving away prize packs we think you’d fight a Vulcan to win. Imagine beaming home with a signed ‘Star Trek’ one-sheet, a scale model of the iconic USS Enterprise, the CD soundtrack or pairs of movie tickets! A truly Trek-tacular collection. Enter today to live long, prosper and win!
Get energized and enter the Star Trek sweepstakes!!
The Grand Prize Includes:
- Star Trek one sheet signed by cast
- Star Trek movie Enterprise Model
- Movie passes
- CD Soundtrack of movie
First Prize:
- 5 Star Trek the Movie Tie-in Paperbacks
- 5 Sets of 10 Limited Edition Trading cards
- 5 Pairs of movie tickets
- 5 CD Soundtracks from Star Trek movie
Runner Up Prizes
- 10 Star Trek the Movie Tie-in Paperbacks
- 10 Pairs of movie tickets
- 10 CD Soundtracks from Star Trek movie
Click to get energized !!
We hope you enjoy the Star Trek contest and best of luck!
Posts Tagged ‘star trek’
Top Ten Summer Movies - “Scene Selection” Reviews
Posted by Dave on Tuesday, September 15, 2009
By Quinn Bender
Chris Pine, who plays the young James T. Kirk in the latest Star Trek film, confessed to a Hollywood press conference that he was never much a fan of the series. The actor went on to say it was the franchise rival Star Wars that captured his childhood imagination.
“I think watching the original Star Trek series as a kid, it was a little campy, the effects were kind of absurd. I just wasn’t able to get into it,” Pine said.
“Growing up in the Star Wars generation, there’s just something kind of visceral and fun about that world– it’s more about the effects.”
Later Pine said he studied the Star Trek history rigorously since landing the famous role of Captain Kirk. He lauded the series’ commitment to positive themes, calling the deck of the Enterprise a miniature United Nations, a place of cooperation, free of sexism and racism.
“The world that Gene Roddenberry created was… this grand allegory that explored all these deep social issues. As a kid I had no concept or clue of what was going on,” Pine said. “Watching the original series now, you get a great sense of how really radical what Gene Roddenberry was doing back then. I have a great appreciation for that now. Speaking of the positive vision, this really wonderful vision of what we are capable of, is quite a wonderful thing in today’s age.”
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