Showing posts with label Harry Potter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harry Potter. Show all posts

Mar 19, 2011

First Look at Deathly Hallows Part 2: Behind the Scenes

In lieu of an actual trailer, Warner Bros. has finally released what we like to call a behind-the-scenes teaser from the final Harry Potter instalment. Does it look visually spectacular and jam packed full of action? Hells yes, but don't take our word for it. Check out the video below and let us know what you think. Are you excited for July 15?


Mar 6, 2011

The Weekly Round-up: SXSW, Potter, and Trailers

Pegg can see his own face. Frost can see Chris Evans in his Captain America suit.
Now that everyone's recovered from the self-congratulatory pat on the back that was the Oscars 2011 (and Joan Collins, from the clutches of her Oscar party dress) we can all get back to more important things like cringing at the minute-by-minute Charlie Sheen Twitter updates and playing tether-ball.

In all seriousness, there's a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks. 

                                    SXSW Film Festival gets superbad 
Bridesmaids, the newest (and from the looks of it, the freshest) Apatow produced vehicle, directed by the creator of seminal teen comedy Freaks and Geeks Paul Feig, has been added to the closing night line-up. Check out the hilarious trailer here:


Along with the other majors being screened this year, including Super (Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler), The Beaver (Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster), Win Win (Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan), The King of Luck (Billy Bob Thornton), and Paul (Brit-duo Pegg and Frost are at it again), the 2011 SXSW Film Festival looks like it will outshine some of the other more indie festivals this year in terms of originality and entertainment value. The festivities kick off on March 11.

                               Warner Bros. to Open Potter Studio Attraction
© 2004 Warner Bros. Ent. Harry Potter Publishing Rights J.K.R.
For fans of the books and films, there is perhaps no better place to visit than the site of all the action for the past decade: Leavesden studios. Warner Bros. purchased the studios late last year, which have played home to all eight Potter films, as well as numerous other productions such as The Dark Knight and Sherlock Holmes. The official web site states that while it will initially be a Harry Potter-only attraction, that the scope of this could expand in years to come. Opening in Spring 2012 (approximately one year from now), the official press release states:

"Featuring the authentic sets, costumes, animatronics, props and effects used in the production of all eight Harry Potter movies, the tour will showcase the British artistry, technology and talent that went into bringing this beloved film series to life.
Among a series of never‐before‐seen exhibits on the three hour long tour, visitors will be able to walk onto some of the most memorable sets from all of the films in the Harry Potter series including the iconic Great Hall, Dumbledore’s office and many others to be announced at a later date."

                                                  Trailer Watch
Along with these announcements, there have also been a slew of new trailers released this week. First up, the highly unnecessary and only mildly amusing Shrek spin-off, Puss in Boots. Won't someone think of the children?


The little hyped Peep World, starring America's #2 comedy darling Sarah Silverman (though we suspect she'd cuss anyone out for calling her 'darling') and Dexter's Michael C. Hall in a dramedy about what happens when a family member uses your lives for their work of 'fiction'. It's difficult to tell from the trailer what level of quality we can expect, but it's definitely one to keep an eye on.


The official teaser trailer for The Hangover 2 is out. What a snooze. Who'd have though a slow motion reveal of three douchebags walking with a monkey (one in mandals, might we add) wouldn't set the world alight. There had better be a bad-ass cameo in the actual film, or why bother paying 20 bucks for a ticket?


Jan 19, 2011

The BAFTA Nomination Highlights

Noomi Rapace on the Red Carpet, 2010. Photo © Matteo Mignani

The problem with the awards season: repetition. In deference to your continued, lively existence, here are the highlights where awards honchos have thought outside the small, cardboard box their minds are currently calling home. 

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

THE ARBOR - Director, Producer - Clio Barnard, Tracy O’Riordan
EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP - Director, Producer – Banksy, Jaimie D’Cruz
FOUR LIONS - Director/Writer - Chris Morris
MONSTERS - Director/Writer – Gareth Edwards
SKELETONS - Director/Writer – Nick Whitfield
Monsters,  one of the best, yet least-known films of 2010 gets a nod for writing. Not bad for a debut feature.


ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

127 HOURS - Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO - Rasmus Heisterberg, Nikolaj Arcel
THE SOCIAL NETWORK - Aaron Sorkin
TOY STORY 3 - Michael Arndt
TRUE GRIT - Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Three cheers for Sweden! Sure, Hollywood, so far you've ignored The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in awards season, but you still managed to snag the rights to produce a pointless remake. We don't care if David Fincher is David Fincher. As far as gritty Swedish film is concerned, he may as well have started out bucket-drumming with Tracey Jordan. The Americanised version will inspire rage in all of those who loved the books, loved the movies, and can be bothered to read subtitles. 


FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

BIUTIFUL - Alejandro González Iñárritu, Jon Kilik, Fernando Bovaira
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO - Søren Stærmose, Niels Arden Oplev
I AM LOVE - Luca Guadagnino, Francesco Melzi D’Eril, Marco Morabito, Massimiliano Violante
OF GODS AND MEN - Xavier Beauvois
THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES - Mariela Besuievsky, Juan José Campanella
It's probably childish to say booyah, right?  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will have at least a modest amount of success at the BAFTAs, primarily because Brits don't think they can see Sweden/Russia from their house.


LEADING ACTRESS

ANNETTE BENING - The Kids Are All Right
JULIANNE MOORE - The Kids Are All Right
NATALIE PORTMAN - Black Swan
NOOMI RAPACE - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
HAILEE STEINFELD - True Grit
All of these women: extremely deserving. 


We can sum up by saying that overall, the BAFTAs are a hair better than the Globes in terms of nomination variety. The fact that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I has again been majorly overlooked in all categories except for Special Effects and Hair and Makeup (the second, rather puzzling really) is predictably disappointing. It would be nice, before the series is out, to recognise the enormous change and improvement the actors have made since their start. Or, perhaps the contribution of a career that David Heyman has put in as Producer on the series.

For the full list of nominees, please see the BAFTAs web site: http://www.bafta.org/awards/film/2011-film-awards,1572,BA.html