Regular readers of this site would be aware that we rarely promote upcoming films on these hallowed pages (after all, there’s only so many hours in the day!) but we felt we’re onto something special with this, the third official trailer for Zack Snyder’s upcoming Man Of Steel take on Superman. As far as promotional trailers go, this one belts all others over the fence. Hans Zimmer’s score for this is…. spine-tingling, and most people have been caught by Kev Costner’s line about Clark being his son. This film looks… in a word….. epic.

For the full effect, watch it in full 1080p HD.

The 2013 Oscars are over for another year, and once again, we take stock of what we’ve witnessed, and round off on the films of 2012 with a salute, a hearty cheer, and a farewell for now. Now that the Academy has “rebaranded” the Academy Awards as “The Oscars” going forward, no doubt to ensure a youthful demographic remains interested (to me, you’re either interested or you’re not, and no name change is gonna fix that), we’ll have to spend some time revamping our Oscar logos on and around the site. Bummer.

So how about the ceremony itself? Well, if you followed out Facebook feed during the show, you’ll have a bit of an idea on what we thought as it progressed, but now it’s time to reflect on the entire thing collectively, given the benefit of hindsight.

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In my life, I’ve owned four copies of Stargate. Not the variety of television series, but the original Roland Emmerich film. The first, a widescreen VHS copy. The second, a poorly mastered Region 4 DVD, before upgrading from that to a nicer – albeit still flawed – Region 1 version. Now, flying through the US mail system, is my recent Amazon-purchased Blu-Ray edition, supposedly even better quality than any of the preceding DVD versions. In my life, I’ve owned three copies of Resident Evil – a pitiful R4 version on DVD, the R1 Superbit edition, and now the Blu-Ray. Multiple copies of Armageddon, The Rock, Harry Potter 1-4, Blade Runner, heck, even Lord Of The Rings; passion for owning films on DVD and Blu-Ray is an expensive hobby at the best of times. I’ve already covered the theme of cinema cost in a previous post here, but today I want to cover off on something I think film studios secretly use to bolster their bottom lines at the expense of film enthusiasts.

The Double Dip.

Click here for further explanation!

We live in a truly remarkable age. The age where just about everything we do has a digital imprint – social media, entertainment, communications, heck even business is often conducted over the internet and other digital forms, with what has now become a remarkable interconnected lifestyle for all of us. The humble mobile phone, for example, has long since left the domain of simple phone calls; nowadays, your touchscreen phone is nigh capable of launching nuclear missiles from an off-shore submarine, they contain so much technology. Even a bottom of the range portable tablet device can multi-task, making calls, surfing the web and everything but make you a morning coffee.

The future of technology seems to be leaning towards streaming technology, coupled with this newfangled “cloud” technology some companies are pushing. A decentralized storage mechanism for all your downloaded content, from movies to music to web browsing seems anathema to me, as someone who grew up in the dawn of the computer age and who’s more comfortable saving my stuff on my own hard drive for easy access later. That being said, this appears to be the way computer technology is going, with less and less people using, or even owning, a PC in the last few years.

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Ladies and Gentlemen, I think we’ve reached a turning point. The evolution of cinema, or the humble “film”, is about to change – if it hasn’t fundamentally already. It’s got to the stage where I think calling our favorite medium “film” is a misnomer – because film as we know it is going the way of the dodo. As we fully embrace the digital age, where film-makers such as James Cameron, Peter Jackson and even now Steven Spielberg have crossed into using a completely digital workflow (Spielberg has held out longer than most, but it’s only a matter of time), calling it “a film” is no longer truthful. Much like the default “save” icon on your computer uses a now defunct image of a floppy disc, calling a movie a film will eventually confuse the younger generation who will grow up under the impression that movies are shot completely digitally.

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Now that the nominees have been released for the 85th Academy Awards, it’s time for us to have a bit of a go at trying to determine the winners and losers on the big night. With all the opinions around the web and workplaces, there’s plenty of grist for this mill, and we figured why not add in our own two cents. The Oscars are one of most watched television events in the world, and with that level of expectation and anticipation, it’s only natural for everyone to have their favorites. Here’s ours…. what are yours?

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David R Ellis – 1952-2013

David R Ellis, a former stuntman-turned Hollywood director, has passed away. Mr Ellis is best known for helming the big-budget features Snakes On  A Place, Final Destination 2, as well as The Final Destination, Shark Night, Cellular and Homeward Bound 2.

Mr Ellis began his career as a stuntman with Baby Blue Marine, after a period of appearing in supporting roles in films. Following a career in stuntwork, he worked on projects such as The Matrix Revolutions and Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone.

David R Ellis passed away in South Africa, on January 7th, from undisclosed causes.

Larry Hagman – 1931-2012

JR is dead, long live JR. Larry Hagman, the long-time Dallas star who became one of American television’s most revered personalities, has passed away. Hagman came to prominence playing Barbara Eden’s “master” and eventual love interest in the long-running sitcom, I Dream of Jeannie, which ran for 5 seasons between 1965 and 1970. Hagman had, prior to Jeannie, appeared in a number of guest starring roles on a variety of television shows, but it was as the lead in Jeannie where he really rose to fame.

Following the end of Jeannie, Hagman’s next major role would be that of the vile JR Ewing on CBS’s new dramatic series, Dallas. He became the man America loved to hate, the Monty Burns of the show, if you will; Hagman’s star rose even further when, during the cliffhanger episode at the end of the second season, JR was shot by a mystery gunman, posing one of television’s greatest ever questions: “who shot JR?”. JR survived the shooting, and would go on to give Dallas enormous ratings success. By the end of the shows 13 seasons, Hagman would be the only actor to appear in all 200+ episodes.

Only recently, TNT revived Dallas and asked Hagman to appear, reprising his character and once more bringing himself into the spotlight.

Of his film career, it must be said that Larry Hagman did not have the same success – bit roles in films such as Mother, Jugs And Speed, Superman, Primary Colors and Nixon failed to grant him a cinematic oeuvre of note, but it must be said that he made his mark in television more than most others ever could.

Hagman, 81, was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2011, and he passed away on November 23rd, in Dallas, Texas.

It’s been four months since the 3D ride opened at Universal Studios Hollywood, more than a year since “Dark of the Moon” hit theaters and there are still nearly two years until the next movie comes out. Yet, Transformers fans remain steady, consistently supporting the $2.7 billion franchise.

With so much hype, it is no wonder director Michael Bay keeps coming back for more. But with three Transformers movies behind him, how will he make movie No. 4 original while staying true to the series’ roots?

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Okay, so today’s been a pretty big news day. Those of you not directly affected by strong winds along the East Coast of America will have heard by now about the Disney Corporations purchasing of George Lucas’s production company, Lucasfilm. The deal, revealed today, cost Disney just a little over $4 billion – money they will no doubt make back easily thanks to the copious cash reserves die-hard Star Wars fans have at their disposal. Essentially, Disney now owns Star Wars, with Lucas himself being kept on as a “creative consultant”. While Disney also pick up ownership of Lucasfilm brands such as Skywalker Sound, ILM, and LucasArts (who make all the Star Wars computer games), the most exciting news to come from Disney today is, in my opinion, twofold. Mainly – no more Lucas-directed Star Wars, and second, new creative talent coming on board to expand the Star Wars universe.

Cue the positive dot-points!

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