Warner Bros. Pictures is looking to shoot Christopher Nolan’s third Batman movie in New Orleans starting in April. The studio must like the city after recently wrapping Green Lantern there.
Other anticipated movies getting underway include: Men in Black III, which starts filming on October 18 in New York through May; Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, which will shoot in Romania and Turkey starting in November; the untitled Spider-Man reboot, which begins shooting in Los Angeles in December; and The Avengers, which starts shooting in February in Los Angeles.
X-Men: First Class and Captain America: The First Avenger have been shooting in London as well.
Charging towards the start gate, but with no set dates yet, are the new Superman movie and Wolverine 2.
Critically acclaimed pop-up engineer Matthew Reinhart celebrates the history, heroes, and villains of the DC Universe in this ultimate 3-D masterpiece, DC Super Heroes: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book ($29.99)! Bursting with over 25 impressive pop-ups, this deluxe format features a variety of unique novelty elements-including a light-up Bat-Signal, a cosmic Justice League of America battle scene, a twirling Lasso of Truth, and a transparent Invisible Jet! Starring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and many more favorite DC characters, this momentous pop-up exploration releases just in time for DC Comics’ 75th anniversary. With vibrant illustrations, exciting facts, and an eye-catching design, this is an absolute must-have for DC Super Hero fans of all ages!
The wacky Candadian band Hollerado has a new video out for the single, “Americanarama,” which is chock full of visual trickery and comes from their 2010 record Record in a Bag.
The awesome low-budget video sets the bar in the “innovative music video” department. Shot all in one take, it features 420 memorized sequences and 24 choreographed stage hands who do card stunts.
In order for everyone in the video to hit their cues, director Greg Jardin slowed down the song 400 percent and shot each take in about 13 and a half minutes. As the press release says, what we get is a “jittery, spastically comedic result” that complements the band’s “lo-fi, handmade aesthetic.”
Since 2001 when Monster’s Inc. was released, Chronicle Books has simultaneously released beautiful lavishly illustrated and photo laden companion books that showcase the attention to detail and collaborative effort that goes into creating a Pixar film.
Each book provides details on the creative process from the early story boards to the final color scheme and everything in between. Whether you are an animation buff, film fanatic, art lover or pop culture fan the Chronicle series of Pixar books are bound to delight, inspire, education and entertain.
While Pixar Animation Studios was creating beloved feature-length films such as Monsters Inc., Ratatouille, and WALL•E, it was simultaneously testing animation and storytelling techniques in dozens of memorable short films. Andre and Wally B proved that computer animation was possible; Tin Toy laid the groundwork for what would become Toy Story; and Mike’s New Car exposed Pixar’s finely tuned funny bone. In The Art of Pixar Short Films ($40), animation expert and short film devotee Amid Amidi shines a spotlight on these and many more memorable vignettes from the Pixar archive. Essays and interviews illuminate more than 250 full-color pastels, pencil sketches, storyboards, and final rendered frames that were the foundation of Pixar’s creative process.
The 11 x 9 in. hardcover book is 160 pages and contains 300 color illustrations.
Disney•Pixar’s next leap forward will take viewers back to the story that started it all. This summer, Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Rex, Slinky Dog, and Hamm—alongside a surprising cast of new toys—return to the big screen in Toy Story 3, a comical new adventure in Disney Digital 3D. In The Art of Toy Story 3 ($40) internationally renowned animation historian Charles Solomon takes readers through the technical challenges, triumphs, and emotional hurdles that faced the Pixar team as they developed the toys’ new adventure. The Art of Toy Story 3 includes an extended introduction showcasing the story and visual development behind the first two films, as well as a gallery of over 250 pieces of concept art. Featuring storyboards, character studies, color keys, reference photos, environment art, and a special gatefold of Toy Story 3 color scripts by art director Daisuke Tsutsumi, this deluxe volume provides a memorable narrative of the entire Toy Story trilogy.
This gorgeous 11 x 9 hardcover is 160 pages and filled with photographs and illustrations throughout the entire book.
Google has released an update to the Google Mobile search app for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad adding support for its Google Goggles search-by-image technology. Google Goggles allows users to take a picture of an object using the camera on an iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS and perform a search based on the image. Goggles will analyze the image and highlight the objects it recognizes at which point the user can tap on the image to perform searches on those objects.
Goggles is a Google Labs feature and remains in testing, although it reportedly works well for objects such as landmarks, logos, and the covers of books, DVDs and games. The feature requires an auto-focusing camera and is therefore only available on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS and requires iOS 4 or later. Google Mobile is
as a free download.
Director James Cameron is unlocking the secrets of Pandora and taking fans on a guided tour of his vision with the highly anticipated release of AVATAR Extended Collector’s Edition on Blu-ray and DVD releasing November 16th in North America and rolling out internationally from November 15th.
These exclusive Extended Collector’s Editions come with iconic, collectible packaging to get fans to experience Pandora like never before. With three versions of the film, AVATAR fans will get an all-new extended cut of the film and hours of never-before seen material including over 45 minutes of amazing deleted scenes!
“I told our team — let’s do the ultimate box set of Avatar, with everything in it the fans could possibly want. There’s an extended length cut that’s sixteen minutes longer, plus documentaries, behind the scenes featurettes, artwork and over 45 minutes of deleted scenes. Everything worth putting into a special edition is in this set,” said James Cameron.
The three-disc AVATAR Extended Collector’s Edition Blu-ray and Theatrical Special Edition Re-Release DVD will both feature the original theatrical release, a special edition re-release, family audio track with all objectionable language removed and new collector’s extended cut with sixteen more minutes including an exclusive alternate opening Earth scene. Viewers will journey to the depths of Pandora with filmmakers during “Capturing Avatar“ an in-depth feature length documentary covering the 16 year filmmaker journey including all new interviews with James Cameron, Jon Landau and cast and crew exploring James Cameron’s unique vision for the film seen by more than 310 million people worldwide. The Oscar and Golden Globe winning epic is the highest grossing film of all time, taking in over $2.7 billion in worldwide box office. It is also the top-selling Blu-ray disc of all time.
The AVATAR Extended Collector’s Edition Blu-ray will also have even more bonus material and interactive viewing. Through the unparalleled, interactive technology of Blu-ray, fans can dive further into the world of the Na’vi and experience the #1 international sensation from behind the scenes, with a “master class” on the production of the film. Leveraging the interactivity of Blu-ray, viewers can experience the full film in three stages of production: Performance Capture, Template (1990’s video game version) and Final as well as a composite of all stages in “Pandora’s Box”. This will be supported with interviews by Jim Cameron and the filmmakers and serve as a “master class” on the making of AVATAR.
AVATAR Extended Collection’s Edition: 3-Disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray: (available for the suggested retail price of $54.99 U.S. / $66.99 Canada.)
Disc One
- Original Theatrical Version
- Special Edition Re-Release
- Collector’s Extended Cut with16 more minutes and exclusive alternate opening
- Family Audio Track (All Objectionable Language Removed)
Disc Two
- “Capturing Avatar“ An in-depth feature length documentary with James Cameron, Jon Landau and cast and crew
- Deleted Scenes – including over 45 minutes of new never-before-seen deleted scenes
- Production Materials
Disc Three
- Open “Pandora’s Box” and go deeper into the filmmaker process
- Interactive Scene Deconstruction: Explore the various stages of production through 3 different viewing modes
- Production Shorts: 17 featurettes covering performance capture, scoring the film, 3D fusion camera, stunts and much more
- Avatar Archives including original scriptment, 300 page screenplay and the extensive Pandorapedia
- BD-live Portal with additional bonus materials
AVATAR Collector’s Edition: 3-Disc Special Edition DVD available for the suggested retail price of $34.98 U.S./$45.98 Canada)
Disc One
- Original Theatrical Version
- Special Edition Re-release
- Collector’s Extended Cut with 16 more minutes and exclusive alternate opening
Disc Two
- Original Theatrical Version
- Special Edition Re-release
- Collector’s Extended Cut
Disc Three
- “Capturing Avatar“ An in-depth feature length documentary with James Cameron, Jon Landau and cast and crew
- Deleted Scenes – including over 45 minutes of new never-before-seen deleted scenes
This December, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ingenious collaboration between renowned composer Danny Elfman and legendary film director Tim Burton, Warner Bros. Records will release The Danny Elfman & Tim Burton 25th Anniversary Music Box ($499), a very special limited-edition, numbered box set of 1000 that collects expansions of the 13 original scores that Elfman has composed for Burton’s iconic films: a newly produced library of 16 CDs each packaged with artwork by Burton, adding up to more than 19 hours of music. Additionally, the package will contain a bonus DVD of a recent exclusive conversation between Elfman and Burton discussing every film and score in their remarkable quarter century collaboration. The box is available for preorder today at www.elfmanburton.com.
This elaborate and lovingly designed collectible box set includes the first-time-ever soundtrack release of Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985), as well as scores to the films Beetlejuice (1988), Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Batman Returns (1992), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Mars Attacks! (1986), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Planet of the Apes (2001), Big Fish (2003), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), and Alice in Wonderland (2010).
It also includes music from Elfman and Burton’s numerous other collaborations: Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Jar, Amazing Stories: Family Dog, Beetlejuice: The Animated Series, The World of Stainboy, Tim Burton’s Museum of Modern Art Exhibit and Danny Elfman’s unused score to the Edward Scissorhands Ballet.
Additional highlights of The Danny Elfman & Tim Burton 25th Anniversary Music Box include:
- Among the 19 hours of music are seven hours of previously unreleased music including such rarities as additional masters, cut songs, song and score demos, work tapes, orchestra-only song mixes, and foreign-language songs.
- Danse Macabre: 25 Years of Danny Elfman and Tim Burton: A meticulously researched, lavishly illustrated 250+ page fine linen-wrapped hardbound book, entitled with gold foil stamping, and featuring a foreword by Johnny Depp. The book also includes rare photos, stories, and interviews from the cast and crew behind the scenes of this classic music — from the early days of Elfman’s band Oingo Boingo to the recent blockbuster film Alice in Wonderland. Interviewed are such collaborators and peers as Guillermo Del Toro, Phillip Glass, Paul Haggis, James Newton Howard, Tom Jones, Michael Keaton, Ang Lee, Errol Morris, Thomas Newman, Catherine O’Hara, Jon Peters, Paul Reubens, David Rockwell, Scott Rudin, Marc Shaiman, Howard Shore, Twyla Tharp, Gus Van Sant, and Richard Zanuck. This comprehensive 10″x10″ keepsake book is written by acclaimed film-music journalist Jeff Bond and designed by Grammy Award winning designer Matt Taylor.
- An hour-long exclusive, newly filmed DVD featuring an extended conversation between Burton and Elfman as they reflect on their quarter-century collaboration.
- As a collectible created exclusively for this treasure box of music, a distinctive Skeleton Key USB Flash Drive has been designed—inspired by the art of Tim Burton. A pull of the key unlocks a USB drive loaded with MP3s of the entire contents of this Limited-Edition Music Box. From Pee-wee’s Big Adventure through Alice In Wonderland, it’s all there, including all the bonus tracks, demos, work tapes, and other rarities.
- Newly created liner notes by Elfman discussing each expanded score and their bonus material of additional masters, song and score demos, work tapes, orchestra-only song mixes, and foreign language versions.
- A collection of music as unique as Elfman’s for the films of Tim Burton needed to be housed in something equally special, wondrous, and whimsical. Designed to evoke a treasure chest found in a mysterious attic, The Danny Elfman & Tim Burton 25th Anniversary Music Box is a work of art in itself. Grammy-winning designer Matt Taylor has transformed previously unseen art by Burton and crafted a large scale, tin-covered music box complete with an embedded music chip playing “The Music Box Suite” arranged and performed by Elfman specifically for this historic collection. And to literally top it all off, with a flip of the lid, a delightful working zoetrope is revealed featuring strips of art and photos by Burton and Elfman that come to animated life with a spin.
The Danny Elfman & Tim Burton 25th Anniversary Music Box will be released as a Collectors Limited and Numbered Edition Box of 1,000 copies. The Danny Elfman and Tim Burton 25th Anniversary Music Box is produced by Danny Elfman and Tim Burton and executive produced by Richard Kraft and Laura Engel. (Thanks for the tip Don Thompson)
It’s official: Zack Synder will direct the Warner Bros. revival of Superman. The director of “300” and “Watchmen” will work side-by-side with producers Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas, the duo that pulled the Batman character back toward cinematic credibility with the films “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight,” the latter grossing more than $1 billion at theaters worldwide. David S. Goyer (“Batman Begins”) is writing the script and shares the story credit with Nolan.
X-Force fans unite! Uncanny X-Force Day is this Wednesday October 6th, 2010.
With the historic release of Rick Remender and Jerome Opena’s Uncanny X-Force #1 to comic stores everywhere, participating retailers will be celebrating with free stuff, exclusive variants and so much more!
Here’s some of the cool stuff to look out for when you get to your participating local comic shop:
Free Exclusive Greg Land Limited Edition Print!
Limited Edition Variants for sale from artists like J. Scott Campbell, Rob Liefeld, and more!
Download the full list of Uncanny X-Force Day participating retailers HERE.
The Cartoon Art Museum, the only museum in the western United States dedicated to all forms of cartoons and comics, is delighted to host its seventh annual benefit on Saturday, November 6, 2010 at Pixar Animation Studios. From Pixar’s inception in 1986 with the premiere of its iconic short film, Luxo Jr., to the studio’s latest full-length feature, Disney-Pixar’s Toy Story 3, Pixar has wowed and charmed the world with its incredible computer animated creations. This year, there are two great ways to experience the magic of Pixar up close and personal at the studio’s Emeryville home:
The Family Fun Tier
(1:00 – 4:00 pm)
The Family Fun Tier is designed for families to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the world of Pixar. Entry includes the chance to get up close and personal to rarely seen Toy Story art, sculptures, and other items from the Pixar archives and experience a gallery exhibition featuring stunning pre-production artwork from all the Toy Story features. Family Fun Tier members will also be able to participate in a Silent Auction to bid on original and signed works by Pixar creators. Pixar artists will be on hand to teach kids how to draw Pixar characters. Finally, a selection of Pixar short films (including One Man Band, Lifted, Presto, Burn-E and several Cars Toons) will be showing in Pixar’s state-of-the-art screening room in a continuous loop.
For this Tier, doors open at 1 pm. Tickets are $49 for an individual or $149 for a Family Four Pack, which includes entry for 2 adults and 2 children under 18 (or 1 adult and 3 children).
The VIP Screening Tier
(11:00 am — 4:00 pm)
The VIP Screening Tier is designed for the biggest fans to help support the Cartoon Art Museum and to experience Pixar’s state-of-the-art digital theater. Entry includes access to everything from the Family Fun Tier plus access to Pixar’s Studio Store where guests can purchase Pixar items at employee prices. The centerpiece of the event is a noon time 3D screening that includes Day & Night , and the feature film Toy Story 3. The screening will be hosted by Dr. Michael B. Johnson (Pixarian and CAM board member), who will lead a Q&A session along with several other Toy Story crew members. The VIP Screening Tier also includes an offering of light lunchtime snacks, treats and conversation with the speakers and other Pixar employees.
For this Tier, doors open two hours early — at 11 am. Cartoon Art Museum members can purchase tickets for the reduced rate of $149, while the non-member rate is $199. Save money and become a member of the Cartoon Art Museum today! Reserved rows for ten are available for $1,500. Treat your friends or employees to an evening of animated fun.
Pixar Animation Studios is located in Emeryville, California. Free parking is available on site. Call 415-227-8666, ext. 300 for more information. To purchase tickets online visit the website: www.cartoonart.org. Tickets will not be sold at the door.
Cereality is more than a place to get cereal. It’s a new way of thinking about cereal. A new choice in fast food. And an idea whose time has come.
At Cereality, customers choose from their favorite brands and toppings. Pajama-clad Cereologists fill the orders. And customers choose and add their own milk, just the way they like it.
If you are interested in more than just a bowl of cereal, you’ve come to the right place. You can check out their menu HERE.
Currently there are locations in Texas, Minnesota, Ohio and West Virginia with more shops coming soon. (Thanks for the tip Meredith)
Wonder Woman is headed to the small screen. The Amazon Princess is being eyed for a television series from writer/producer David E. Kelley.
Kelley is best known for creating series like “Ally McBeal,” “Chicago Hope” and, most recently, “Boston Legal.” He has also drafted screenplays for films like Lake Placid and Mystery, Alaska.
A Wonder Woman series would presumably aim to fill the gap that will be left when the long-running “Smallville” goes off the air next year. If that Superman-inspired series is any indication, Kelley’s Wonder Woman adaptation could take an unexpected angle to the story of DC’s preeminent superheroine. It is unknown whether Wonder Woman would even be used as the show’s title.
Long in development for a feature film, the best known adaptation of the character came in the form of a three-season live-action series in the 1970′s, starring Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman and her alter ego, Diana Prince.
Should the series make it beyond the planning stages, Kelley’s take on Wonder Woman wouldn’t necessarily preclude the character from also appearing in a movie, as Superman Returns did with the unrelated “Smallville.”
Warner Bros. Pictures has released this new poster for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, opening in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on November 19th.
Comic-Con International: San Diego, the largest comics convention of its kind in the world, today announced it will be staying in San Diego for the foreseeable future.
Comic-Con reached a self-imposed attendance limit at the San Diego Convention Center (SDCC) in 2007 and has had to cap attendance at approximately 125,000 people each year since. In looking at ways to better accommodate the growing demand from attendees and exhibitors, the nonprofit organization considered proposals for a move to larger facilities in Los Angeles or Anaheim after the expiration of its SDCC lease in 2012. This decision keeps Comic-Con in San Diego through 2015.
“We are grateful for the tireless efforts all three cities put into to their proposals,” said David Glanzer, Comic-Con’s director of marketing and public relations. “In the end, we feel this decision is the best for all those who attend Comic-Con and for the organization itself. We are happy that the community has worked with us to ensure that we remain here.”
Comic-Con was first held in 1970 at the U.S. Grant Hotel, where it attracted 300 people. As the event grew, subsequent homes included the downtown El Cortez Hotel in the 1970s and the San Diego Convention and Performing Arts Center in the 1980s. Comic-Con moved to the then newly built SDCC in 1991. Comic-Con celebrated its 41st year in 2010.
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is an all-new feature based on the classic Supergirl storyline written by Jeph Loeb and featuring artwork by the great Michael Turner. It’s now available on Blu-Ray Combo Pack, movie and for download.
Here’s a brief rundown of the plot:
“When a spaceship splashes down in Gotham Harbor, Batman and Superman encounter a mysterious Kryptonian with powers as great as Superman’s. When Darkseid gets wind of this, he has the Kryptonian abducted and brought under his control on Apokolips. It’s up to Batman and Superman to retrieve the Kryptonian, forcing them to infiltrate Darkseid’s hostile world where superpowerful threats lurk around every corner.”
This movie also features an exceptional voice cast. Fan favorites Tim Daly(Private Practice) and Kevin Conroy (China Beach) return to their seminal roles as Superman and Batman, respectively. The cast also includes Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age) as Darkseid, seven-time Emmy Award winner Ed Asner (Up) as Granny Goodness, and Summer Glau (Serenity/Firefly) as the voice of Supergirl.
And if this isn’t enough for you, “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse” also features an original Green Arrow animated short.
For more information on the movie, a trailer and more information on the other bonus features, please click HERE.
Posted by Larry Fire 
