Transformers

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is an upcoming science fictioßn film due for release on June 26, 2009. It is the sequel to 2007’s Transformers, which was the first live action Transformers film. Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg return respectively as director and executive producer, while Shia LaBeouf reprises the role of Sam Witwicky, the human caught in the war between Autobots and Decepticons. The film introduces many more robots and the scope has been expanded to numerous countries, the most important of which is Egypt.

The main hurdle in getting the film produced was overcoming the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, as well as possible strikes by the Directors Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild. Bay met his shooting date with the help of previsualization and a scriptment by his writers Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and series newcomer Ehren Kruger. Shooting from May to November 2008 predominantly took place in the United States, including the majority of scenes set in outside countries, a minimum of which was conducted in those actual nations.

Premise

Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) discovers something about the origins of the Transformers and their history on Earth. The evil Decepticons need to capture him for information. The climactic battle takes place at the Giza pyramid complex, where a temple is located within. Lorenzo di Bonaventura explained the film will show the Transformers who visited Egypt before the pyramids were built, and “all our heroes end up here because of the Decepticons’ masterplan.” Furthermore, Egyptian hieroglyphs resembling helicopters and other present day vehicles in real life will be explained in the film as being depictions of those Ancient Cybertronians who visited Earth.

Production

Development

In September 2007, Paramount announced a June 26, 2009 release date for the sequel to Transformers, and Bay began creating animatics of action sequences featuring characters rejected for the first film. This would allow animators to complete sequences if the Directors Guild of America went on strike in July 2008 (which did not happen as the DGA signed a new deal). The director considered making a small project in between Transformers and its sequel, but knew “you have your baby and you don’t want someone else to take it”. The film was given a larger budget than the first film, which cost $151 million, and some of the action scenes rejected for the original were written into the sequel.

Filming

Filming began in Los Angeles, California in May 2008. From June 2, three days were spent on an action sequence at the Bethlehem Steel site in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, which was used to represent a portion of a fictional Chinese city. Afterwards, they shot at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The crew moved to Philadelphia on June 9, where they shot at the Exelon plants in Delaware; the University of Pennsylvania; the Eastern State Penitentiary; Fairmount Park; Rittenhouse Square (which represents Paris); and Wanamaker’s. They moved to Princeton University on June 22. Filming there angered some students at the University of Pennsylvania, believing Bay had chosen to reshoot scenes at Princeton, the school’s historical rival, and script Princeton’s name in the movie. However, neither the University of Pennsylvania nor Princeton gave Bay permission to be named in the film because of a “funny ‘mom’ scene” that both felt “did not represent the school”. Around $5 million was spent during filming in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, and New Jersey.

Effects

The producers expected that with a bigger budget and the special effects worked out, the Transformers would have a larger role. Peter Cullen recalled, “Don Murphy mentioned to me, ‘Only because of the tremendous expense to animate Optimus Prime, he’ll be in just a certain amount of [the first film].’ But he said, ‘Next time, if the movie is a success, you’re gonna be in it a ton.‘“ The director hoped to include more close-ups of the robots’ faces. Scott Farrar returned as visual effects supervisor, and anticipated moodier use of lighting as well as deeper roles for the Decepticons. He stated that with the bigger deadline, post-production will be a “circus”. Hasbro became more involved in the designs of the robots than in the first film. They insisted on keeping the alternate modes of some of the returning characters similar, so people would not have to buy toys of the same characters.

Upcoming picture

Monsters vs. Aliens is an upcoming 2009 computer-animated 3-D feature film from DreamWorks Animation. The release date was moved up to prevent competition with James Cameron’s upcoming Avatar. This will be the first computer animated movie which will be produced in real 3-D instead of converting the film into 3-D after it is finished, which will add $15 million extra to the film’s budget. The film is scheduled for a March 27, 2009 release. The film is rated PG for “Sci-fi Action, Some Crude Humor, and Mild Language.”

Monsters vs. Aliens is starring the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Hugh Laurie, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett, Rainn Wilson with Stephen Colbert and Kiefer Sutherland.

Plot

When California resident Susan Murphy (Reese Witherspoon) mysteriously grows to 49 ft 11 in, she is labelled a monster and taken in by the military to an institution housing for other monsters: Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D., an insect-headed mad scientist (Hugh Laurie), the Missing Link, a thousands-of-years-old fish-man (Will Arnett), B.O.B., a gelatin-like, jolly, indestructible monster (Seth Rogen) and Insectosaurus, a fuzzy bug that stands at 350 feet tall, making even Susan look tiny by comparison. When a UFO lands and an alien overlord named Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson) demands that Earth be given to them, General W.R. Monger (Kiefer Sutherland) suggests to the President (Stephen Colbert) that the monsters can provide the firepower to defeat the aliens.

Monsters/Aliens

• Reese Witherspoon as Susan Murphy (Ginormica): On the day she was supposed to marry local weatherman Derek Dietl, she was hit by a meteor filled with a strange substance that mutated her DNA, causing her to grow into a 49 foot 11 inch tall woman. She is based on the film Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.

• Hugh Laurie as Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D.: When his teleportation device backfired, he ended up with the head of a cockroach. He is based on the film The Fly.

• Will Arnett as The Missing Link: A 20,000 year old frozen fish-ape hybrid thawed out by scientists two thousand years after the Ice Age. Based off of the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

• Seth Rogen as Bicarbonate Ostylezene Benzoate (B.O.B.): Created by the accidental mixture of a genetically altered tomato and a chemically-altered ranch-flavored dessert topping. It is based off of The Blob

• Insectosaurus: Transformed by nuclear radiation from a one inch grub into a 350 foot monster. Based off of many of the Japanese-styled monsters.

• Rainn Wilson as Gallaxhar: An alien leader who plans to take over the planet Earth.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army is a 2008 comic book film based on the fictional Dark Horse Comics character Hellboy. The film is directed by Guillermo del Toro and is a sequel to the 2004 film Hellboy, which del Toro also directed. Ron Perlman reprises his role as the titular character. The film was commercially released on July 11, 2008.

Synopsis

 When a truce between humanity and an invisible realm of fantasy is broken, destruction threatens the Earth. A leader from the realm, Prince Nuada, defies his bloodline and summons an army of creatures to lay waste. Hellboy (Ron Perlman) must confront Nuada and his army, being backed by his team members from the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense: Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) and Johann Kraus. The team travels between Earth and the fantasy realm, battling fantastical creatures. Hellboy is faced with a choice, following the life he knows or pursuing a life of unknown destiny.

Production

Development

In May 2004, following the release of Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy the previous month, a sequel was announced by Revolution Studios with del Toro returning to direct and Ron Perlman reprising his lead role as the titular character. The director sought to create a film trilogy with the first sequel anticipated for release in 2006. Revolution Studios planned to produce the film and distribute it through a deal with Columbia Pictures, but by 2006, Revolution had gone out of business. In August 2006, Universal Studios acquired the project with the intent to finance and distribute the sequel, which was newly scheduled to be released in summer of 2008. Production was scheduled to begin in April 2007 in Budapest, Hungary and London, England.

Writing

Director Guillermo del Toro explored several concepts for the sequel, initially planning to recreate the classic versions of Frankenstein, Dracula and The Wolf Man. He and comic book creator Mike Mignola also spent a few days adapting the Almost Colossus story, featuring Roger the Homunculus. They then found it easier to create an original story based on folklore, because Del Toro was planning Pan’s Labyrinth, and Mignola’s comics were becoming increasingly based on mythology. Later, Del Toro pitched a premise to Revolution Studios that involved four Titans from the four corners of Earth—Wind, Water, Fire, and Earth—before he replaced the Titans with a Golden Army. Mignola described the theme of the sequel, “The focus is more on the folklore and fairy tale aspect of Hellboy. It’s not Nazis, machines and mad scientists but the old gods and characters who have been kind of shoved out of our world.”

Filming

Del Toro released Pan’s Labyrinth in 2006, and the film was nominated for multiple Academy Awards, earning the director enough clout to begin production on Hellboy II. Guillermo del Toro began filming Hellboy II in June 2007 in Budapest and concluded in December 2007. The film was the first American production to shoot at Korda Studios in Hungary, then newly built outside Budapest. The creature shop was led by the company Spectral Motion, and Filmefex contributed work in makeup and prosthetics. The latter company designed a creature for the troll market scene and built several statues and full-sized replicas of the Golden Army. 

Cast

Ron Perlman as Hellboy, a demon who works for the government organization Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD). Guillermo del Toro described the character’s dilemma in the sequel, “[He] has always fought on the side of humans, but this [destruction of fantasy] pushes his buttons to reconsider.” In the sequel, Hellboy is armed with an enormous new gun called “The Big Baby”, which fires flare-like bullets.

Selma Blair as Liz Sherman, a pyrokinetic member of BPRD and Hellboy’s girlfriend. Blair described her character as more engaging in the sequel, “In the first one she was afraid to take a step. She was completely a zombie, not wanting to own up to her power and having the memory of what she’d created in her life… I was really eager to come and play Liz with a little more vibrancy.” Blair also had short hair for her role, avoiding long hair from her portrayal in the first film, which she felt “brought her face down”. The actress emphasized Liz Sherman’s growth in the sequel, “She’s looking to the future much more, and things are happening in this one that she has to buck up… I think you’re dealing with a lot knowing this young girl that we last saw as very damaged, and now she’s with this guy, and all these people around her, I think, we’ve really had to step up a strength, and a confidence in her so that I don’t look like the little baby kid sister tagging along.”

Doug Jones as…

…Abe Sapien, an aquatic empath who works for BPRD with Hellboy. Jones said of his return to the role after the first film, “He’s been an absolute treat for me to play this time. He’s written with so many different colors and levels and there’s a love interest… And his buddy time with Hellboy is more concrete and his brother/sister time with Liz is even better.” Jones believed that Abe Sapien became “the brains, the intellect of the team” while Hellboy protects his character because he is still “kind of innocent”. The actor pointed to his character’s adolescence with love,”His love life is something that’s never been tapped into before… So just like a 13-year-old with his first crush, this is how you’re going to see Abe this time. A portion of him. Will this affect his decision-making powers?”

…The Angel of Death, a female angel with androgynous characteristics. Jones explained his portrayal, “The script refers to the angel as a her and that’s what I do. I think she has feminine qualities, but she’s not totally a woman either. And that’s okay. I like characters that keep you guessing.”

…The Chamberlain, the door keeper for the Elfen king of the Underworld. The creature is long, gangly, eight feet tall, and wears silk and velvet robes. It also has long, spindly fingers, which filmmakers mobilized with servos and which Jones wore as extensions of his own hands.

Luke Goss as Prince Nuada, the Elf Prince of the underworld. Goss was originally cast as the mutant vampire Jared Nomak in del Toro’s 2002 film Blade II, and the director approached the actor to be cast in Hellboy II. Goss trained with swords and spears for six to seven months for his role. He and Anna Walton also learned ancient Gaelic from a dialog coach for their lines. Goss did not perceive Nuada as evil, explaining, “It’s issues, his people, he’s part of what he truly believes. I don’t think, really, he’s so deluded… [He] is driven by an ethic that was instilled by the person he has problems [with] his father, and inevitably, that leads into the conflict with him and Hellboy.” Goss also noted that his character admired and revered his twin sister, portrayed by Anna Walton. He said of the prince and the princess, “There is an incestuous relationship that’s not maybe overly obvious to everybody, but some people hopefully will pick up on the fact, certainly from my direction towards her.”

Anna Walton as Princess Nuala, the Elf Princess of the underworld and Nuada’s twin sister. She is described as “very light” while Nuada is “very dark”, creating a yin and yang dynamic. She elaborated on the incestuous tones between her character and Prince Nuada, “He’s the dark side and she’s the light side and they’re pulled apart and pulled back together again, and she’s trying to get away because she knows there is something she has to do. He can’t let that go and they can’t really do anything without each other so it’s a really interesting thing.” Her character also forms a relationship with Abe Sapien, and Walton noted their similarities, “They are both slightly lost souls and they understand each other.” Walton spoke of her character’s sense of purpose, “She feels very strongly about what she has to do in the film, and then her absolute connection and love for the Earth and what we are given. That’s what she’s here to protect… Her relationship with her brother, and how he is almost a part of her but she has to break away and will do whatever it takes to stop him from achieving what he wants to achieve which is the mass destruction of mankind.”

Seth McFarlane voices Johann Kraus, while actors John Alexander and James Dodd wore the suit. Kraus is a German psychic whose ectoplasmic being is contained in a suit after a botched séance. Originally, filmmakers planned to create a computer-generated version of the glass fishbowl helmet, but with the cost being prohibitive, they created an actual helmet. To ensure the invisibility of the actor’s head under the glass, perspective and mirror tricks were used. The helmet was controlled by two puppeteers, so the heavy contraption had to be shared between Alexander and Dodd. The character was originally voiced by Thomas Kretschmann, but he was replaced by McFarlane.

Brian Steele as Mr. Wink, a giant cave troll who was originally conceived by Guillermo del Toro. Wink was sculpted by Mario Torres, and the costume was worn by Brian Steele. In the film, Wink’s right arm has a giant metal fist. The fist was designed by filmmakers to be made of heavy plastic to stay light enough for motors to operate the mechanical fingers. The fist could also be physically detached and used as a projectile without any computer-generated imagery used. Steele also plays a different troll, the Map Shop Owner, and Fragglewump.

Other cast members include:

• Jeffrey Tambor as Tom Manning
• John Hurt as Trevor Bruttenholm
• Roy Dotrice as King Balor, the Elf King of the underworld

Reception 

Michael Rechtshaffen writing in The Hollywood Reporter said Hellboy II was an uncompromised vision of Guillermo del Toro’s imagination. He said that with the director given free rein, the film came across as an amalgam of the best moments from his previous films, only with better visual effects. John Anderson of Variety wrote of a rococo precision to the visuals that exceeded that of the first film. He cited del Toro’s “clockmaker’s preoccupation with detail” and ability to blend state-of-the-art technology with more classical visuals as the reasons for the film’s success. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly said that the plot didn’t often deviate from its comic-book traditions, but that del Toro staged the action “brilliantly”. He said that while the visual effects deserved recognition, what made the film so exciting was the personality they were imbued with. Chuck Wilson of The Village Voice said that del Toro was on autopilot, but that he and his Pan’s Labyrinth crew, cinematographer Guillermo Navarro in particular, staged the steady stream of action set-pieces expertly. Mike Goodridge of Screen International wrote that del Toro had retained the B movie tone of the first film, saying the film managed to avoid the self-importance of The Incredible Hulk and the Batman film series and that del Toro was simply a “great storyteller” providing a “good time”. Stuart Levine in Premiere praised the visuals and “beautiful” set-pieces, but said del Toro’s script fell a little short of his direction. Alonso Duralde writing for msnbc.com said it represented a backwards step for del Toro, saying that despite several creepy sequences, the film was a return to the muddled storytelling and pretty visuals of his pre-Pan’s Labyrinth films. He said del Toro’s screenplay lacked energy or momentum.

John Anderson said the film would be “almost unthinkable” without Ron Perlman in the lead role, saying the film was more successful than its predecessor mainly due to the more deliberately amusing tone and the “drily ironic” title character. He said the only weak link was Luke Goss’ “unimposing” villain. While praising the general banter between Perlman and Blair, Stuart Levine said the nonchalant Hellboy exhibited insufficient growth as a character, and that Jeffrey Tambor was largely wasted in his role. He agreed that Goss’ villain was weak as written, with no tangible menace. Owen Gleiberman said Perlman was more assured than in the first Hellboy, funnier and more cantankerous. He said the entire enemble had “an appealing, outsize grandeur” about it. Mike Goodridge said the film carefully developed the character relationships, and Chuck Wilson said that other than the title character’s penchant for chewing cigars, he was otherwise “uninteresting”. Alonso Duralde wrote that the “sitcom-ish” character dilemmas were uninteresting, saying that Perlman and Tambor’s performances were regularly let down by the script. He said that Blair’s performance was possibly the first bad one he’d seen by the actress, and that while Jones was “brilliant” physically, his vocal performance was inferior to David Hyde Pierce’s in the first Hellboy film. Michael Rechtshaffen called Perlman “terrific” and said Blair’s brooding portrayal was effective.

Michael Rechtshaffen concluded that Hellboy II was less focused than the first film, but that it played “faster and looser” and was a “wild ride”. In a positive review, John Anderson’s main criticism was a sequence set in Ireland, which he called the least interesting and most conventional segment of the film. Chuck Wilson said the film “[didn't] have much on its mind”, but that it would amaze children and amuse adults, Stuart Levine said the film was worth viewers’ time, and Alonso Duralde said Hellboy II was “limp and unengaging”. Owen Gleiberman surmised that the film was “derivative yet… dazzling”, and Mike Goodridge concluded by praising the filmmakers’ skill at creating a film that, despite featuring “stunning” action sequences and creature effects, still found time for character development and a fulfilling story that expanded the franchise’s wider mythology.

Call of Duty: World at War is a first-person shooter video game under development by Treyarch and published by Activision for the PlayStation 3, Wii, Windows, and Xbox 360. It is the fifth installment in the Call of Duty video game series, excluding expansion packs. It is scheduled to ship before the end of Activision’s 2009 fiscal year. The game is set in the Pacific theater and Eastern front of World War II.

Gameplay

Call of Duty: World at War will feature a more mature theme than previous installments in the series. Swimming elements will be introduced to the series for the first time in single player and multiplayer. While in water, the player cannot sprint and will only move at half speed. Flamethrowers, first introduced in Call of Duty: United Offensive, will be reintroduced with new flammable environments. The game will be slightly more open-ended than previous games in the series, as there will be multiple ways to complete missions.

Multiplayer

World at War will feature cooperative gameplay (four players via split-screen (on consoles) or four players online) for the first time in the franchise. Vehicles will return as well as new squad-based elements within multiplayer. It will also use a similar perk system to Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty 4.

It was also recently revealed by Mark Rivers, a creative director for Treyarch that multiplayer elements from Call Of Duty 4 online were going to be included in the new game, for instance; anti-personnel mines (claymores) will still be made available as a perk but a simple trip-wire will replace modern detection lasers.

Weapon customization will also still be allowed; players will be able to attach a bayonet to certain weapons, fire basic grenade-launchers and apply decals to weaponry with a variety of different colors after completing “head-shot challenges.”

Boats will become available as well for players usage but have limited firepower.

Plot

The story mode features two campaigns on two fronts, the United States Marine Corps battling the Japanese Imperial Army in the Pacific, and the Soviet Red Army on the European Eastern Front towards the end of the war. One part of a level entitled Maken Raid shows an Allied prisoner of war being tortured by the Japanese before having his throat slit by a katana. The player’s character witnesses this scene and is later rescued by U.S. Marines who liberate the camp. Two other levels were revealed by IGN: one involves the player using the machine guns on a PBY Catalina to attack a Japanese naval fleet, and the other shows the beginning of the Russian campaign. In that level, the player and a Russian sniper attack German troops under the cover of a bombing raid.

Development

World at War will have a two-year development cycle, double that of Treyarch’s previous title, Call of Duty 3. The game will be powered by an enhanced version of Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare engine – improvements have been made to the physics engine and lighting model. Environments are now more destructible and can be set on fire with the flamethrower (which features propagating fire). Bullets can also cut holes in thin wood, making a gap big enough for the player to climb through.

A full-sized replica PBY Catalina was constructed for motion capture use.

The Last Word is an offbeat romantic dramedy written and directed by Geoffrey Haley set to have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January. It will be released wide in 2008.

Plot

A reclusive writer played by Bentley makes his living composing other people’s suicide notes. His life gets turned upside down after he embarks on a tumultuous romance with Ryder, the sister of a recently deceased client.

Winona plays the sister the man who enlists the services of a professional suicide note writer(Bentley) before he takes his own life – and events lead to a romance between him and Winona.

Filming began in March and is set to wrap April 20th.

Cast

• Winona Ryder… Charlotte Morris
• Wes Bentley… Evan
• Ray Romano
• Gina Hecht
• A.J. Trauth … Greg
• Kurt Caceres … Sammy
• Michael Cornacchia … Client

Defiance is an upcoming war film written and directed by Edward Zwick. The film is based on the true story of the Bielski partisans, covered by author Nechama Tec in the book of the same name. Defiance stars Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, and Jamie Bell as three Jewish brothers from West Belarus who escape from the Nazis and fight back to rescue fellow Jews. Production began in early September 2007. The film is scheduled to be released on December 19, 2008.

Premise

During World War II, three Jewish brothers escape their Nazi-occupied homeland of West Belarus and join the Soviet partisans to combat the Nazis. They build a village in a forest and manage to save some 1,200 Jews and other fugitives.

Cast

• Daniel Craig as Tuvia Bielski, one of the three Jewish brothers
• Liev Schreiber as Zus Bielski, one of the three Jewish brothers
• Jamie Bell as Asael Bielski, one of the three Jewish brothers
• Alexa Davalos as Lilka, a Polish refugee and the love interest of Craig’s character
• Tomas Arana as Ben Zion, a resistance leader

Production

Edward Zwick began writing a script for Defiance in 1999 after he acquired film rights to the 1993 nonfiction book of the same name by author Nechama Tec. Zwick developed the project under his company, Bedford Falls, and the project was financed by the London-based company Grosvenor Park with a budget of $50 million.

In May 2007, actor Daniel Craig was cast into the lead role with Paramount Vantage acquiring the rights to distribute Defiance in the United States and Canada. The following August, actors Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, Alexa Davalos, and Tomas Arana were cast into Defiance. Production began in early September 2007 so Craig would complete filming Defiance before moving on to reprising his role as James Bond in Quantum of Solace.

Filming of Defiance took place for three months in Lithuania, which had beaten out other Eastern European locations such as Poland and Romania due to lower production costs.

Controversies

The film-makers omitted the fourth (and the only surviving) Bielski brother, Aron, who in 2007 was jailed in the United States. As of June 2008, together with his wife Henryka Bell, Aron Bielski is facing a sentence of up to 90 years imprisonment.

In addition, the Naliboki massacre, the partisan raid on a Polish town in the area which killed more than 100 people including women and children, as well as other crimes commited by the Soviet-commanded partisans against the local non-Jewish and non-communist population were left out (though they possibly occur after the end of the film as the film does not cover the entire war). Instead, Zwick made them actively fight the German military forces, even though, according to the research by the Polish government’s Institute of National Remembrance, they preferred to flee the manhunt operations in order to survive rather than fight any battles against the German soldiers.

The Jewish Press cited the chief American prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials, Telford Taylor, as saying that “historical misrepresentations could leave the uninformed viewer with an inaccurate historical record about what a movie is depicting” while criticizing the fictionalization of the story.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a 2008 adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. Set in 1957, the fourth film in the Indiana Jones film series pits an older Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) against agents of the Soviet Union, led by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), in the search for a crystal skull. Indy is aided by his former lover Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), the greaser “Mutt” Williams (Shia LaBeouf), and fellow adventurer Mac (Ray Winstone). John Hurt and Jim Broadbent also play fellow academics.

The film was in development since the 1989 release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, because Spielberg and Ford disagreed over Lucas’ original concept. Screenwriters Jeb Stuart, Jeffrey Boam, Frank Darabont and Jeff Nathanson wrote drafts, before David Koepp’s script satisfied all three men. Shooting finally began on June 18, 2007, and took place in New Mexico; New Haven, Connecticut; Hawaii; Fresno, California; and soundstages in Los Angeles. In order to keep aesthetic continuity with the previous films, the crew relied on traditional stuntwork instead of computer-generated stunt doubles, and cinematographer Janusz Kamiński studied Douglas Slocombe’s style from the previous films.

Marketing relied heavily on the public’s nostalgia for the series, with products taking inspiration from all four films. Anticipation for the film was heightened by secrecy, which resulted in a legal dispute over an extra violating his non-disclosure agreement, and the arrest of another man for stealing a computer containing various documents related to the production. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released worldwide on May 22, 2008.

Plot

In 1957, Colonel-Doctor Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) and a convoy of Soviet agents posing as US Army soldiers who infiltrate a military base called Hanger 51 in the Nevada desert. They force Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) to lead them to a crate in “Hangar 51“, which holds the remains of an extraterrestrial creature that crashed ten years before in Roswell, New Mexico. Jones attempts to escape, but is foiled by his partner Mac (Ray Winstone), who reveals that he is working with the Soviets. After a fight and an elaborate vehicle chase through the warehouse, Jones escapes on a rocket sled into the desert, where he stumbles upon a nuclear test town and survives a nuclear blast by hiding in a lead-lined refrigerator. While being debriefed, Jones discovers he is under FBI investigation because of Mac’s Soviet ties. Jones returns to Marshall College, where he is offered a leave of absence to avoid being fired because of the investigation. While leaving, Jones is stopped by Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) and told that his old colleague, Harold Oxley (John Hurt), disappeared after discovering a crystal skull in Peru.

In Peru, Jones and Mutt discover that Oxley was locked in a church-operated psychiatric hospital until Soviet soldiers kidnapped him. In Oxley’s former cell, Jones discovers clues to the grave of Francisco de Orellana, a Conquistador who went missing in the 1500s while seeking Akator (also known as El Dorado). At the Nazca Lines, Jones finds the crystal skull that Oxley hid in Orellana’s grave. The skull is elongated in the shape that indigenous peoples formed their own skulls into; the Soviets believe the skull is from an extraterrestrial life-form, holding great psychic power. The Soviets capture Indy and Mutt and take them to the camp where they are holding Oxley and Mutt’s mother, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), who reveals that Mutt is Jones’s son. The four escape from the camp, leading to a lengthy vehicle chase involving sword fights and several Soviet soldiers being killed by siafu ants. Mutt, Marion, Mac, Oxley, and Jones ride an amphibious vehicle over a cliff and down three waterfalls, eventually finding the Temple of Akator. Claiming that he is a double agent working against the Soviets, Mac enters the temple with Jones and the group while leaving a trail for the Soviets to follow.

The group enters the temple and Jones uses the skull to open the door to a chamber tomb. Inside, thirteen crystal skeletons, one with a missing skull, are seated on thrones. When the Soviets arrive, Mac reveals that he lied about being a double agent. Spalko places the skull onto the skeleton, and it begins communicating to the group through Oxley using an ancient Mayan dialect. Jones translates this to mean that the aliens want to give them a great gift. Spalko demands to know everything, and the skulls begin firing knowledge into her eyes, causing her to shake. As a portal to another dimension appears over the room, Oxley regains his sanity and explains that the aliens are inter-dimensional beings who taught the Maya their advanced technology. Jones, Mutt, Marion, and Oxley escape from the temple, but Mac is sucked into the portal. The skeletons form into a single alien which continues to feed Spalko with knowledge; however, the knowledge overwhelms Spalko, causing her to ignite and disintegrate. The temple crumbles, and a flying saucer rises from the debris and disappears. Back home, Jones is made an associate dean and marries Marion.

The Happening is a 2008 American film written, co-produced and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It stars Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel. Shyamalan had previously cast Wahlberg’s brother Donnie Wahlberg in The Sixth Sense. Production began in August 2007 in Philadelphia. The Happening will be released on Friday, June 13, 2008, deliberately planned to fall on Friday the 13th.

Premise

The Happening is a paranoid thriller in which a family must survive a global environmental crisis. Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel star as an estranged couple who must escape this apocalyptic pandemic.

Cast

• Mark Wahlberg as Elliot Moore, a man who takes his family on the run
• Zooey Deschanel as Alma Moore, Elliot’s estranged wife
• John Leguizamo as Julian, Elliot’s close friend
• Spencer Breslin as a teenage boy
• Betty Buckley in a yet-unnamed role
• Ashlyn Sanchez as Jess, Julian’s daughter
• Edward James Hyland in a supporting role

Production

In January 2007, writer-director M. Night Shyamalan traveled from Philadelphia to Hollywood to prepare the live-action film based on Avatar: The Last Airbender. Shyamalan submitted a spec script entitled The Green Effect to various studios, but none expressed enough interest to purchase the script. The director collected ideas and notes from meetings, returning home to Philadelphia to rewrite the script, and 20th Century Fox greenlit the project. Now titled The Happening, the film will be produced by Shyamalan and Barry Mendel and will be the director’s first R-rated project. Later in March, actor Mark Wahlberg, with whom Shyamalan had been negotiating at the same time as his deal with Fox, was cast into the lead role of the $57 million project. The India-based company UTV will co-finance 50% of the film’s budget and distribute the film in India, with Fox distributing in the rest of the territories. Production began in August in Philadelphia. Filming locations in the Philadelphia area include Masterman High School, Rittenhouse Square,Cherry Hill Mall Complex, 30th Street Station. Most of the scenes at a farm or at a farm house took place in Plumstead, Doylestown, and restaurant scenes were filmed G Lodge in Phoenixville. The release date for The Happening is set for June 13, 2008, intentionally set for Friday the 13th to suit the thriller.

Soundtrack

The score to The Happening was composed by Oscar-nominated composer James Newton Howard. He recorded his score with the Hollywood Studio Symphony at the Sony Scoring Stage with a 90-piece orchestra, and featured solos by cellist Maya Beiser. Varese Sarabande Records will handle the release of the score on CD. A release date has been yet to be announced.

Street Kings (originally titled The Night Watchman) is a 2008 film. The screenplay is written by noted authors James Ellroy and John Ridley; the film is directed by David Ayer. The film stars Keanu Reeves, Hugh Laurie and Forest Whitaker. The film is scheduled to be released in theaters on April 11, 2008.

Production

In 2004, it was announced that Spike Lee would be directing the film for a 2005 release. In 2005, it was announced that Oliver Stone was in talks to direct the film. But Stone later denied this. Training Day writer David Ayer took over the project. So far Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans, Terry Crews, Common, Jay Mohr, The Game, Keanu Reeves, and Naomie Harris have been confirmed roles in the movie.

On February 5, 2008, it was announced that Fox Searchlight Pictures changed the film’s title from The Night Watchman to Street Kings.

Plot

Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) is a Los Angeles cop who has spent his life never having had to reach across the abyss from his world to the other. Ludlow’s life, however, becomes cheerless, dark and deadly, after the death of his beloved wife. Ludlow is pressed into action when he is framed for the murder of a fellow officer by those close to him. Deeper and more profound themes are interwoven in this story of a man’s struggle for meaning in a world that is increasingly controlled by outside forces.

Cast

• Keanu Reeves as Tom Ludlow
• Forest Whitaker as Jack Wander
• Hugh Laurie as Captain Biggs
• Chris Evans as Paul Diskant
• Terry Crews as Terrence Washington
• Naomie Harris as Linda Washington
• Cedric the Entertainer as Scribble
• Amaury Nolasco as Cosmo Santos
• Common as Coates
• Jay Mohr as Mike Clady
• Martha Higareda as Grace Garcia
• The Game as Grill

Official Web Page:
http://foxsearchlight.com/streetkings/

Fanboys is a film directed by Kyle Newman and starring Sam Huntington, Chris Marquette, Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel, and Kristen Bell.

Plot

A group of friends, anxious for the premiere of Star Wars: Phantom Menace, decide to break into Lucas Ranch and steal an early print of the film. The reason: One of them is suffering from cancer and wishes to see the film before his death. A road trip begins as the friends encounter William Shatner, obsessed Trekkies, and bikers who make them strip for water.

As explained below execs want the cancer plot to be removed and make the film more of a parody of Star Wars.

Development

After George Lucas was given an advanced screening of the rough cut of the film, he enjoyed it and gave it his “stamp of approval” and even offered for original Star Wars sounds to be used in the movie. He then contacted the filmmakers with his authorization to use Star Wars sound effects. Filmmaker and Star Wars fan Kevin Smith also viewed an early version of the film and asked for and was allowed a cameo in the film.

The movie was pushed back once more to January 2008 because director Kyle Newman was given more funding to shoot additional scenes that the original budget did not include. Getting the cast back together would only be possible in September 2007, thus the movie’s release date had to be moved to 2008.

The movie was again pushed back because the reshoots could not take place before November/December 2007. These reshoots were directed by Steven Brill and not by Kyle Newman. On January 14th, web blogger The CineManiac broke the story that the movie was being re-edited to remove the cancer plot from the movie and replace much of it with raunchy, vulgar humor. Ain’t It Cool News picked up the story and confirmed that the two different versions of the movie (with and without the cancer plot) were screened to different test audiences in Burbank, CA, in January 2008 to see which one would rate higher. As for a new release date, Director Kyle Newman stated in a Movie Geeks United! interview that the movie will hopefully come out in April 2008.  Upon hearing about the changes being made to the movie, dedicated Star Wars fans united and started an internet campaign where fans rebel against the plot changes and demand that the original version that includes the cancer storyline be released in theaters.

A rough cut of the full film (that included the cancer storyline) was shown in public for the first time at Star Wars Celebration Europe on July 14th, 2007. The screening was followed by a Q&A session with director Kyle Newman and received standing ovations.