Barbara

While waiting to be able to see movie, completely forgot about plot and I'm really glad this happened as believe that when you know nothing about story the experience with this movie has to be different than when you do. Since I feel that you should go virgin to the story, I'm forced to not analyze anything about this layered story that could touch you in many levels if you are willing to peel the layers and enjoy the slowly built slight tension that director Christian Petzold masterly impregnated to his film.

I met Petzold with his puzzling Gespenster (Ghosts) and while found film strange -especially for a lesbian interest film- I was highly impressed with his filmmaking and storytelling style. Then saw Yella, another strange movie that absolutely captured my interest as a darkish but very intellectual exercise. Then came Barbara a film that I found not strange at all and perhaps it's Petzold's most accessible film of all I have seen but know that many will find the pace extremely slow, especially Academy members that will see film as is Germany submission to 2013 Oscar.

Pace is so slow and narrative evolves so slow, that is inevitable for viewers to start wondering what is happening here. If you are patient soon you will start to uncover clues to where they are, what time-period story is set, who is Barbara, why she is harassed and why she end up there. But if you blink while watching there are chances that you could miss the clue. Still I believe that Perzold's storytelling style is so interesting that even if you cannot identify any of the above because you are captured by only the evident narrative, you could still enjoy the film that will motivate you to fill the gaps as you wish. To me this is amazing and is the reason why I suggest you see movie without knowing about the plot.

Then film is so good that after watching once and learning what movie is about you could go back and watch again to surely uncover many more layers to film and story. I bet that some will see a different story than the one you imagined the first time. Still the message will or could be the same, what is to live under very difficult circumstances and still be able to behave like a human being. Is all about trust.

Impeccable warmish cinematography -different to Petzold's usually cold visuals- plus an outstanding performance by Nina Hoss that delivers a great -but very slowly- transformation in front of our eyes, from cold and misanthropic to a warmer more living woman that cares no matter the damage she has endured. Truly impressive and a strong reason to make this movie must be seen.

Film premiered in competition at 2012 Berlinale to great reviews in German press, not so in other languages, and while traveling the fest circuit has collected more honors but none like the ones collected in German awards where Petzold got the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlinale, Film Award in Silver for Outstanding Feature Film at 2012 German Film Awards and Jasna Fritzi Bauer (Stella) won the New Faces Award for Best Actress. The above makes me think that film perhaps is "too German" for world audiences but if you are familiar with Petzold work I know that movie has to be must be seen for you and surely will enjoy this film that is both about the voyage as the destination.

Have seen it twice, have seen two different stories, maybe will see it again and surely will discover more; but what blew my mind the most, first and second time, is the amazing Nina Hoss performance, truly mesmerizing and in my opinion, superior to highly awarded Yella performance.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

2015. The Earth is under attack by waves of UFOs. Alien infiltrators are kidnapping humans to unknown ends, or simply going on the rampage to spread fear and terror. To fight back, the nations of the world have established XCOM, an elite force designed to combat the alien menace. With a fleet of interceptor aircraft and well-trained soldiers at their disposal, the forces of XCOM must discover the enemy's purpose, turn their own weapons against them and win the war...or risk the extinction of humanity.

XCOM: Enemy Unkown is a remake and update of the classic 1994 strategy game, UFO: Enemy Unknown (aka X-COM: UFO Defense in the USA), which in turn was heavily inspired by the 1970 Gerry Anderson TV series UFO. It's a turn-based strategy game in which you command the defence of Earth against an encroaching alien menace. The original game is still held as one of the best strategy games of all time (if not one of the best games of all time) and remaking it is a brave move, but one that Firaxis seem to have pulled off well.

As with the original, the game is divided into two distinct sections. Between missions you hang out at your base, which is initially small but can be expanded to incorporate new laboratories, workshops and other facilities. At your base you can research new technologies, recruit new soldiers and build new equipment for them. You can also upgrade your interceptor aircraft and build and launch new satellites to increase your chances of intercepting the UFOs before they can cause havoc. Increasing your satellite coverage is also important to mollify your financial backers: if a country suffers too much damage in an alien attack or does not feel that XCOM is protecting it, it will withdraw from the XCOM project, delivering a serious blow to your finances. Once you don't have anything more to do, you can hit a button to speed up time, with the game pausing again to let you know about important news (such as research being completed or the completion of a facility's construction) or with news of a fresh alien incursion. Sometimes you have to scramble interceptors to shoot down a UFO, but at other times UFOs will land of their own accord. In either case, once an alien hotspot has been detected, you can send a Skyranger dropship packed with troopers to investigate.

At this point the game moves onto a 3D map depicting the area of operations (sometimes a town packed with civilians, or an empty stretch of countryside, or an alien base).You move your troops around this area in turns. On each turn you can move your troopers, have them fire at any aliens in range or switch to an 'overwatch' mode, which basically stores up their move until the aliens' turn, when they can automatically fire on any aliens who venture into their line of sight. You have to be careful as the aliens often do the same thing, and moving might trigger an alien attack of opportunity on their turn. Combat is undertaken by your troops aiming at the enemy with a percentage chance being shown of how likely the attack will be. Cover is vitally important, with both full and half-cover available to protect combatants, so flanking is critically important, as is the use of heavy weapons that can destroy cover. As the game proceeds your squad size increases (from four to six troops) and you gain access to devastating new weapons, including laser and plasma weapons, as well as psi-powers and expendable robotic drones.

The game itself is fairly straightforward, but what prevents the standard prodcedure (research and build stuff, shoot down UFO, fight on 3D map, rinse and repeat) getting repetitive is the importance placed on your decisions. Do you expand satellite coverage early on, but then lack the funds needed to research new weapons? Can you risk neglecting your interceptors' weapons in favour of upgrading your troopers' rifles? This also extends to your individual (and highly customisable) soldiers, who gain experience and new abilities between missions. Gaining new abilities (such as the ability to use three medikits per mission instead of one) comes at the cost of sacrificing others, and careful decisions have to be made. You can be fairly ruthless, upgrading your troopers' offensive weapons whilst ignoring their defences, since recruiting fresh troops to replace the slaughtered is inexpensive. But experienced combat veterans have powerful abilities, so you may want to pump resources into armour instead. There are numerous approaches you can take to the game, which immensely rewards replayability.

Presentation-wise, the game is slick but not lightweight. The UI is straightforward and instinctively easy to understand, whilst the 3D graphics are more functional than impressive, but with an attractive art style and some cool explosions. Sound effects are good, the alien designs (many of them directly upgraded from the 1994 originals) memorable and interesting, and there's even some pretty good characterisation of your various advisors. One mild misstep is a lack of personality and character amongst your soldiers (since you have full control of their development), which makes some events in the endgame not resonate as strongly as they should.

The game is quite hard, even on the easier difficulty levels, and does not tolerate too many mistakes. Many players, particularly those not familiar with the original, may find themselves having to play through several dummy runs to get acquainted with the concepts and controls before launching a proper campaign (this is not helped by a story-driven tutorial mode which doesn't actually do a good job of giving you the tech you need urgently in the early game period). Still, it's a refreshing change to find a game these days which will punish you but not overwhelm you with frustration to the point where you stop playing. On the contrary, XCOM is compulsive stuff, with the "Just one more turn," mentality resulting in you staying up until ridiculous hours trying to acquire that plasma rifle or bring down that alien base.

On the negative side, the game does lack some of the freedom of the original, such as the ability to exchange equipment in the field and bring a lot more troops to the battlefield, whilst the inability to destroy cover deliberately with normal weapons seems a bit limiting. But these are fairly minor complaints. More serious is a series of crashes I experienced shortly after installation, but these stopped after an hour or so and never reoccurred.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown (****½) is a smart, intelligent and engrossing game, with compelling (but also challenging) gameplay and some fiendish opponents. It's a superb update of a classic game but also a great game in its own right, and a clear front-runner for game of the year. The game is available now on the PC (UK, USA), X-Box 360 (UK, USA) and PlayStation 3 (UK, USA).

George Lucas sells STAR WARS to Disney

George Lucas has sold Lucasfilm and its properties, including Star Wars, to the Walt Disney Corporation for a whopping $4 billion. Lucas has issued a statement saying he belives it is time to sell the franchise to a new generation of young film-makers.

So long and thanks for all the Sith.

 "For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next,” said George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm. “It's now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I've always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I'm confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney's reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products."

What effect this will have on The Clone Wars TV series and the long-in-limbo live-action TV show is unknown. However, so-far unsubstantiated Twitter chatter is that Disney is moving immediately into the planning process on a seventh Star Wars film, possibly for release in 2015.

On the plus side, George Lucas no longer gets to write Star Wars material. On the downside, it looks like the carefully-constructed Star Wars Expanded Universe could get chucked out the window in favour of a new series of films. Potentially controversial.

UPDATE: Disney confirm that Star Wars Episode VII is in active development for a 2015 release. 
Oddly, there's been no mention of what this means for the Indiana Jones franchise yet.

LANDS OF ICE AND FIRE now available

The Lands of Ice and Fire, a companion volume to A Song of Ice and Fire comprising a dozen large poster maps, is now available in the USA. Its official UK release date is 8 November, but don't be surprised to see some early copies slipping onto shelves before that date.

Qarth and the Jade Gates, featuring the hitherto-unmentioned island of Great Moraq. The forested region just to the east is the kingdom of Yi Ti.

The map collection features the first canon-for-the-books maps of eastern Essos, including the Jade Sea region. These maps introduce a whole host of new locations to the world of Westeros and Essos, some of which may be referenced in future books.

Donations

After receiving a few requests for this over the last few years, I have added a Paypal Donations button to the blog (see top-right) for those wishing to help make a contribution to the site. A few clarifying points below:

1. There is no alternate or 'exclusive' content for those who choose to contribute. This is a purely voluntary thing. You - thankfully - won't get a "I'm in Wert's Zone!" T-shirt for contributing :-)
2. Please contribute based on your enjoyment of the blog's content so far, not on what I might do or not do with the blog in the future.
3. Contributions will go towards the upkeep of the site. Although Blogger provides a free service, there are additional charges involved in running the site which have become steeper recently (i.e. my monthly internet bill and my rent for the property from which I bloggeth).

To emphasise, this is a purely voluntary endeavour. My heartiest thanks to any who do contribute.

Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

The enigmatic nation of Invierne is menacing the borders of both its neighbours, vast Joya d'Arena and its former vassal state of Orovalle. The two kingdoms have allied together against this threat through a marriage pact, with King Alejandor wedding Princess Elisa of Orovalle. This simple alliance is strengthened by the fact that Elisa is the bearer, the wielder of the Godstone. For two thousand years the bearers have performed great acts of bravery and heroism against the forces of evil.

However, Elisa is no hero. Pampered and overweight, she doubts her holy mission. But the boiling deserts of Joya d'Arena will prove her testing ground as she struggle to unlock the secrets of the Godstone, and those of the bearers who came before her.

Fire and Thorns (published as The Girl of Fire and Thorns in the USA) has the whiff of the standard fantasy epic to it. It's the opening volume of a trilogy, it features a callow young protagonist who grows into their destiny as the book unfolds and it's set in a fictional world. That said, it does feature a (relatively) uncommon setting, influenced heavily by Moorish Spain, and there is no map (somewhat irritatingly, as the book does feature some fairly intricate geography which the vague descriptions in the book don't really help establish).

The book is told in the first person by Elisa, who makes for an engaging protagonist. Much has been made by readers about the fact that Elisa is overweight when the book begins and that the author raises the issues of body image and confidence issues and explores them in an interesting manner. This much is true, although there has also been criticism of the fact that as Elisa transforms from callow youth to badass warrior queen she also drops the weight, which seems to be suggesting that overweight people can't be confident and strong rulers in their own right. This is a slightly problematic issue, although I think it's more a reflection of the fact that the story takes our heroine across burning deserts and through thick jungles on months-long journeys where it is implausible she wouldn't get fitter (unlike a certain other author's character called Samwell Tarly, cough). Still, the author does manage to raise and explore the issue without overburdening the book with it.

Fire and Thorns is in YA territory. There is no overt sex or swearing, and the violence is somewhat mild, although several major characters are killed in a rather offhand manner. There is the threat of gushing romance, but it never really materialises (somewhat thankfully) as the war and action storylines take prominence. More disappointingly, there is some very solid set-up done for some promising political intrigue which never really materialises. The resolution of the political plot is in fact rather disappointingly pat and convenient. However, there are some solid twists in the magical storyline, as Elisa uncovers the history of the Godstones and discovers their true purpose.

Caron writes engagingly, making Fire and Thorns (***½) a fast, easy and, despite the aforementioned issues, enjoyable read. Those looking for something dark and gritty best look elsewhere, but for a lightweight, easy-to-read fantasy this is more entertaining than most. The novel is available now in the UK and USA.

De rouille et d'os (Rust & Bone)

A magnificent love story! Yes film is all about love. Love, Audiard style of course. Not really what I imagined as was expecting a female-centered story and is not. In a way Audiard again tells a male-centered story but this time a female character goes tête-à-tête with the male character and together they dance a magnificent pas de deux. But you have no idea how spectacular Audiard tells his love story that in hands of a different director easily could have become a sentimental melodrama of the worst kind.

Story tells about two different people, opposites, Stéphanie (Marion Cotillard) the Orca whale trainer that has her "controlled" world turn upside down after a whale disobeys her "controlling" orders, and Ali (Matthias Scoenaerts) the man that has nothing but his son and a brutal force. The beauty and the brute, the perfect match. But nothing is easy for both and Audiard brilliantly show us through several metaphors and most of all with the most impressive cinematography where what you see is more important than what you hear, how they end up helping each other in the most non-sentimental, crude and direct way. All this while exploring our contemporary world, the huge differences between those that have and have not, and proposing that perhaps nowadays all we have left is no more than ourselves, our feelings, our emotions or -if you wish- love. Amazing.

Had no clear idea how to explain what movie is about as whatever I wrote sounded ridiculous and maybe the previous paragraph still suggests a story that can be considered as silly, risible, unbelievable; but let me assure that film and story are not any of the later words. First film is so well crafted that seems impossible to imagine the above story told the way Audiard tells it, but his master approach is extraordinary. Just as an example let me share that the scenes where Stéphanie has the "accident" are an impressive expressionist collage where you see nothing of the "accident" and you see all, inside your head. Second, story is told in a very raw, realistic way, especially when telling about Ali, but also when telling about Stéphanie as her emotions are raw and realistic too. Film is truly visceral.

I was very curious about the special effects and maybe in the beginning was approaching the scenes where Cotillard has no legs too brainy but film -and special effects- are so good that soon, very soon, absolutely forgot about the special effects as became more concern with feeling whatever emotions the scenes provoked. Fantastic and in my opinion, extraordinary use of special effects that I wish many emulate, as not often these kind of effects are used to generate emotions.

Performances have the excellence that awards reward. Marion Cottillard's character is full of emotions and she gives a perfect performance, similar to the one that gave her an Oscar. Matthias Schoenaerts' performance is so good that now I'm willing to see Rundskop (Bullhead), a film I've been avoiding to see as I imagine with too much violence, but now after seeing how good he is -even in the most raw violence- will see it. No doubt that Jacques Audiard masterful direction makes their extraordinary performances possible as well as gives us a raw expressionism in his film images.

I am a huge Audiard and Marion Cotillard follower that with this film got my expectations (see Cannes preview) surpassed as never imagined that a love story (first surprise) could be told like is told here (second surprise) with so much emotions and the raw violence that characterizes Audiard. Still, have to remind you readers that this is a very French movie in form and style; where the voyage is more relevant than the destination. So I hope some of you will enjoy this fantastic voyage into love.

No doubt that film could be for general adult audiences as believe that film story could appeal them; but wonder if film could motivate them to see beyond the evident, to peel the layers, to see more with emotions than plain sight. Maybe.

Last but not least film premiered to great reviews at 2012 Cannes and just a few days ago collected the top award at BFI London Film Festival, in between the two events and while travelling the fest circuit collected many more honors. Truly regret that France did not send film to Oscar, but let's hope that Cotillard gets some more Oscar love.

Big Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT

Dated Released : 27 June 2012
Quality : BRRip 720p V2
Info : imdb.com/title/tt1667889
IMDB Rating : 7.0 (4,103 users)
Star : Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo
Genre : Animation | Adventure | Comedy
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Manny, Diego, and Sid embark upon another adventure after their continent is set adrift. Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world.

Dishonored

The city of Dunwall and its surrounding territories are ruled by the Empress Kaldwin, a fair and strong ruler. When she is assassinated and her daughter Emily kidnapped, her bodyguard Corvo Attano is held responsible and imprisoned. After six months, a brutal new regime under the Lord Regent has been established and the city placed in a state of fear. When Corvo is rescued by loyalists to the old regime, he is given the tools to carry out a series of missions aimed at removing the Lord Regent, rescuing Princess Emily and restoring justice to Dunwall. But a virulent plague and uncertain loyalties amongst the various factions make Corvo's job a lot harder as he must decide to take the path of blood-soaked vengeance or striking surgically from the shadows.

Dishonored is a first-person action game developed by Arkane Studios, with several of the developers of the Thief, Deus Ex and Half-Life franchises working on it. It is a richly atmospheric game which, refreshingly, rewards you for avoiding violence, chaos and killing (though still allowing you to pursue that course if you really want to).

The game places you in the role of Corvo, a bodyguard-turned-secret agent. You have a variety of tools at your disposal to carry out missions, including magical powers (the ability to blink - teleport short distances - is essential) and equipment including crossbows with sleep darts to knock out foes. You can also knock out unsuspecting enemies with sneak attacks and, if really necessary, use firearms and swords for direct combat. You can also use your magical powers to possess other creatures (including human characters) for brief periods. Each mission is set in a substantial area of the city of Dunwall, with you able to scale buildings using your powers and hide in the shadows from unsuspecting guards, or try a frontal assault option and wade through rivers of blood on your way to your objective. However, using violence and killing people increases the amount of chaos present in the city, which affects the number of guards (and rats) on later levels, and their alertness.

Dishonored's biggest success is its setting, with Dunwall being a grimy industrial city with a tech level more like Victorian England than a traditional high fantasy location. There are echoes of steampunk and China Mieville's world of Bas-Lag in the setting, which is a fascinating place to explore. There are also numerous books, posters, notes and audio logs dotted around the city which unveil its history in some depth and add to a feeling of immersion in the game. The depiction of grimy tenement blocks, rich manor houses and immense official structures (such as prisons, fortresses and fortified lighthouses) is remarkable, giving the game a tremendous sense of place. These settings also reward exploration, with Corvo often able to find bonus items and cash by thoroughly exploring every area rather than blitzing straight through.

The game's freedom has been its main talking point, with players having multiple paths to victory. This is true to a large degree, although there are still only a finite number of ways to proceed. The game is open enough to allow for two or three playthroughs using different styles (to unlock the several different endings), although arguably the game's freedom is not sufficient to justify more than that. With no multiplayer, the game's long-term replayability may be in doubt, though the (often difficult-to-achieve) achievements do help with that issue.

The writing and the characterisation in the game is fairly solid, and there's much amusement to be gained by eavesdropping on conversations from the shadows or spying through keyholes (sometimes learning something valuable that opens up new ideas and objectives). The game gives out an achievement for 'ghosting', which is not only getting through the game without killing anyone but getting through the game without anyone being aware you were even present. Achieving this is highly satisfying. The game also allows you to complete it without ever having to kill anyone, even assassination targets, which is an improvement over the recent Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which was impossible to complete without killing at least three mid-game bosses.

The game is well-paced, with missions taking anything up to three hours apiece to carry out if you are thoughtful and methodical. There have been complaints by some players about the game being too short, although to complete the game in much less than eight hours or so is only possible if you take the frontal assault option, which seems to be missing some of the point of the game. For my first playthrough I took a non-lethal course, methodically exploring each mission to start with and then picking up the pace in the later missions (where there is a much greater sense of urgency to events). This led me to completing the game in just under twelve hours, a very satisfactory amount of game for my money (and also leaving several other endings and playstyles available to be explored).

Dishonored (****½) is an intelligent and atmospheric game which gives the player a lot of freedom in how they choose to approach it and what they want to get out of the game. Surveying a target from a rooftop, coming up with a plan to get in without being seen and executing that plan successfully is great fun; when the plan goes awry and having to come up with a new idea on the fly even moreso. The game does falter a little towards the end, with a sequence set in a flooded part of the city going on a bit too long and the player being railroaded into the nearest thing the game has to a boss fight, but overall this is a rich and compelling game experience.

The game is available now on PC (UK, USA), X-Box 360 (UK, USA) and PlayStation 3 (UK, USA).

The Middle Kingdom by David Wingrove

2196. For more than a century, the Earth has been under the rule of Chung Kuo, a world-spanning civilisation founded by a Chinese warlord using advanced technology. That warlord was later deposed by the T'ang, seven senior rulers who feared his insanity. The T'ang now rule a strictly hierarchical world at peace, but one where the powers of the privileged few are built on a pyramid of oppression and strictly-enforced order. With thirty-six billion people packed into the vast, continent-spanning cities of 'ice' (a nanotech-based material with super-strong properties), the dangers of chaos are all too apparent.

But there is growing discontent in Chung Kuo. Wealthy industrialists and ambitious scientists want change and growth to prevent stagnation. The enforcers of order will not stand for this. When the Minister of the Edict, whose job it is to prevent any drastic change to the order of things, is assassinated, it becomes clear that a war is coming. The War of Two Directions, which could spell a new dawn for humanity or spell its utter extinction.

The Middle Kingdom is the third novel in David Wingrove's revamped Chung Kuo mega-sequence. Originally published in eight volumes in the 1980s and 1990s, the series was abruptly cancelled and the author forced to write a highly unsatisfying quick ending which satisfied no-one. With new publishers Corvus at the helm, Chung Kuo has been recast in twenty volumes, including an all-new beginning and ending. The first two novels, Son of Heaven and Daylight on Iron Mountain, showed the foundation of Chung Kuo and the destruction of the world before, serving as scene-setting prologues. The Middle Kingdom, picking up a hundred years later, is where the story itself really gets started. It's also where the series catches up to the original series, and in fact The Middle Kingdom consists of the first half or so of the original novel of the same name, published in 1988.

This means that you don't need to have read the first two novels to leap straight into The Middle Kingdom. For those who have read the first two books, The Middle Kingdom features a surprising (and welcome) shift in gear. The first two books were extremely fast-paced, with some character development and worldbuilding having to be sacrificed to get through epic events in a reasonable page-count. The Middle Kingdom is slower-paced, with events more deliberately unfolding. Characters are established and explored, the opposing thematic concepts of change and stasis are set up well and complex conspiracies unfold with relish. This doesn't mean the book is devoid of incident, with several assassinations and bombings, some underworld crime machinations and high-level political intrigue making for a busy novel, albeit one that is not as rushed as its predecessors. The pacing is pretty solid, though the later-novel introduction of a whole new major character and situation does betray the book's status as merely the opening salvo in a much vaster tale.

The characters are split between the Chinese and Western-descended inhabitants of the world (those who've read the first two books will know that Africa and the Middle-East did not fare well during the takeover) and such characters are present on both sides of the central thematic argument of the series. Wingrove's characterisation is pretty good, though he tends to lean a little more towards the broad rather than the subtle. Still, it is effective. Wingrove is also non-judgemental (at least at this stage) about his thematic argument: in a society of almost forty billion people, utterly dependent on technology to survive, the dangers of both change and stagnation are clear. With a few exceptions, his characters are not clear-cut good or bad guys either, with both honourable men and the amoral present on both sides of the debate.

The Middle Kingdom (****½) is a highly enjoyable SF novel that leaves the reader eager to read more. It is available now in the UK, with US readers able to order (with free delivery) from the Book Depository. The fourth volume in the series, Ice and Fire, will be published in December.

Schwarznegger to return as Conan?

Universal Pictures, Paradox Entertainment and Arnold Schwarznegger have done a deal which opens the way for a new Conan the Barbarian movie starring the ex-Governator.

The new movie will ignore both the recent Jason Momoa film and the 1984 Conan the Destroyer (starring Schwarznegger) and will instead work as a successor to the original 1982 Conan the Barbarian, the movie which began Schwarznegger's ascent to superstardom. The new film will depict Conan in the closing stages of his life, as an old king and warlord ready for one last glorious adventure before the end. This story idea tracks with Robert E. Howard's original stories, which depict Conan in his old age as King of Aquilonia.

The producers of the project cite Unforgiven as their inspiration for the tone and direction of the picture, which they hope will be darker and more philosophical like the original movie. It remains to be seen if the picture will be formally greenlit.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

Date Released : 3 July 2012
Quality : BRRip 720p
Info : imdb.com/title/tt0948470/
Imdb Rating : 7.7 (47,511 users)
Starring : Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield, Rhys Ifans
Genre : Action | Adventure | Thriller
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Peter Parker yang di tinggalkan orang oleh orang tuanya sejak kecil kemudian diasuh oleh pamannya Ben dan bibinya May. Ketika dia menemukan kopor misterius milik ayahnya, dia mulai menyelidiki mengapa orang tuanya menghilang. Penyelidikannya mengarahkannya ke Oscorp dan Laboratorium Dr. Curt yang adalah eks teman kerja ayahnya.

New Daniel Abraham cover art

Here's the cover art for Daniel Abraham's next two novels: Abaddon's Gate, the third volume of The Expanse (written with Ty Franck under the pen name James S.A. Corey); and The Tyrant's Law, the third volume in The Dagger and the Coin:

The Tyrant's Law will be published in May 2013, with Abaddon's Gate following a month later.

Our first glimpse of Asshai

The Lands of Ice and Fire - a collection of poster maps depicting the world of A Song of Ice and Fire - will be published next week. io9 have released some more sneak peeks of the collection, including our first-ever canon glimpse of Asshai and the Shadow Lands:

Readers of the books know that Asshai is a highly mysterious city located in the far south-eastern corner of the explored world, on the eastern shores of the Jade Sea, five thousand or more miles from Westeros. Beyond Asshai lies the even more enigmatic 'Shadow Lands', the home of mysterious people who always go masked in public (such as Daenerys's sometimes-ally Quaithe). Asshai was first mentioned in A Game of Thrones (published in 1996), but this is the first time it's been officially depicted visually in any form.

49th Golden Horse Awards Nominations

A while back the Golden Horse Film Academy announced the nominations that came from a total of 213 entries, including 122 feature films, 67 short films, 20 documentary films and four animated features.

Both Yang Ya Che's Gf * Bf and Lou Ye's Mystery lead with seven nominations each closely followed by Johnny To's Life Without Principle and Guan Hu's Design of Death with six nominations each.

These are the nominees for some categories.

Best Feature Film
神探亨特張 Beijing Blues, Gao Qunshu, China
浮城謎事 Mystery, Lou Ye, China and France
奪命金 Dyut meng gam (Life Without Principle), Johnnie To, Hong Kong
女朋友。男朋友 Gf * Bf (Girlfriend Boyfriend), Yang Ya Che, Taiwan
消失的子彈 Xiao shi de zi dan (The Bullet Vanishes), Lo Chi Leung, Hong Kong and China

Best Director
Gao Qunshu for Beijing Blues
Lou Ye for Mystery
Johnnie To for Life Without Principle
Yang Ya Che for Gf * Bf
Doze Niu Chen-Zer for 愛 Love

Best New Director
Yang Yi-Chen and Jim Wang for Cha Cha for Twins, Taiwan
Fung Kai for Din Tao: Leader of the Parade, Taiwan
Hero Lin for Silent Code, Taiwan
Tsai Yueh Hsun for Black & White: The Dawn of Assault, Taiwan and China
Chang Jung-Chi for Touch of the Light, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China

Best Leading Actress
Bai Baihe in Love Is Not Blind
Hao Lei in Mystery
Denise Ho in Life Without Principle
Gwei Lun-Mei in Gf * Bf
Sandrine Pinna in Touch of the Light

Best Leading Actor
Nick Cheung in Nightfall
Lau Ching Wan in Life Without Principle
Joseph Chang in Gf * Bf
Chaman To in Vulgaria
Nicholas Tse in The Viral Factor

Best Documentary
China Heavyweight, Yung Chang, China
Hand in Hand, Juang Yi-tzeng and Yen Lan-chuan, Taiwan
Money and Honey, Jasmmine Lee Ching-hui, Taiwan
Voyage in Time, Chou Tung-Yen, Taiwan

Best Short Film
6th March, Wong Chun, Hong Kong, 32'
My Graduation Travel, Hung Po-Hao, Taiwan, 30'
The Home Gleaners, Zhang siqing, China, 32'
The Present, Hsieh Weng-Ming, 16'

The Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year
Chen Po-Wen
Liao Su Jen
Jimmy Huang
Huang Yu-Siang

Lifetime Achievement Award: Shih Chun

This year there were no nominees in the Best Animation Film category as none of the four films qualified. To check nominees in all categories plus info and trailers (all films have trailers, many with English subtitles) for each nominated film go here.

Most interesting is to notice that Hong Kong and Taiwan submissions to Oscar have been honored with nominations but China's submission is not. From the five films nominated for Best Feature Film no doubt that 2012 Cannes Un Certain Regard Mystery is must be seen for me; also because I enjoy Sandrine Pinna's performances think will give a try to Touch of the Light but know that story could be too melodramatic for my taste.

The judging process consists of three phases. The first round was overseen by film critics and scholars from Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong: including Tan Tang-Mo, Li Yongquan, Liang Liang, Thomas Shin, and Wei Xidi. The second round was reviewed by outstanding filmmakers still active in this field, mostly past Golden Horse winners or nominees, such as Kong Jinlei (editor), Jack Shi (animation director), Wu Mi-Sen (director), Lin Yu-Hsien (director), Lin Jong (cinematographer), Lim Giong (musician / actor), Chen Yi-Wen (director/actor), Chen Ru-Shou (film scholar), Shirley Chan Ku Fang (makeup and costume designer), and Lu Yi-Ching (actress); they spent a month watching all the brilliant Chinese-language films made in the past year, from which they elected this year's finalists. In the final round, the judging panel will be joined by the two-time Best Leading Actor winner Andy Lau, as well as renowned writer Chang Ta-Chun, veteran actor/director Liang Hsiu-Shen, and the equally talented Jiang Wenli. Serving as the chairman of this year's jury, Andy Lau said that it was a great honor to take on such a task and he was looking forward to watching the nominated films and discussing with his colleagues. He also congratulated all the nominees of the 2012 Golden Horse Awards.

The 49th Golden Horse Awards ceremony will be held on November 24 in Luodong Cultural Working House, Yilan County and will be broadcast live exclusively on TTV. At present it is confirmed that the ceremony will be broadcast to Canada, the United States, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and Macau.

IRON MAN 3

Dated Released : 3 May 2013
Status : COMING SOON
Info : imdb.com/title/tt1300854
IMDB Rating : N/A
Star : Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Gwyneth Paltrow
Genre : Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
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By: icinema3satu.com


[COMING SOON]

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The plot is unknown at this time. Rumor has it Tony Stark/Iron Man will head to China to face his toughest opponent, Mandarin.

25th European Film Awards Documentary Nominations

The European Film Academy announced today the nominations in the category European Film Academy Documentary 2012.

A committee consisting of Nik Powell, director of the NFTS and deputy chairman of the EFA Board (UK), EFA Members Francine Brücher (Switzerland) and Despina Mouzaki (Greece), and the documentary experts Claas Danielsen (Germany), Ally Derks (the Netherlands), and Jacques Laurent (Belgium) selected the nominees.

These are the three (3) nominated films.

Hiver Nomade (Winter Nomads), Manuel von Stürler, Switzerland
London - The Modern Babylon, Julien Temple, UK
Le thé ou l'électricité (Tea or Electricity), Jérôme le Maire, Belgium, France and Morocco

Manuel von Stürler's documentary was premiered at the 2012 Berlinale in the Forum section, collected honors in the festival circuit and went to win the Grand Prix for best Swiss Documentary Feature Film at the Visions du Reel International Film Fest, the following is the jury statement:

"For revealing through this engaging journey the impressive touch of his director, who is able to exploit the cinematographic potential of the film’s two main characters and of their incredible chemistry. These contemporary nomads live an adventure out of time, but still deeply rooted in our present. The director of this first feature documentary creates through the power of his photography, the subtleness of the editing and the use of music, a magic of simplicity."

Premiered on BBC Two during the Olympics Julien Temple's documentary went to be screened at 2012 Toronto Film Festival where Piers Handling wrote the following:

While looking unabashedly at London’s blemishes, Temple also cites many triumphs. He does an exemplary job confronting what immigration meant for the city, as waves of newcomers landed and British industry fired back up in the postwar period. As figures from the past bubble with energy — flappers, debutantes, Teddy Boys, rock stars, models, punks and more tumble across the screen — Temple picks his way through London’s past with dexterity and a stunning grasp of its archival heritage. This effervescent documentary embraces the complexity of a great city, and its final punctuation mark, The Kink’s iconic ode "Waterloo Sunset," provides the perfect summation of a city forever in transition.

Jérôme le Maire's documentary travelled the festival circuit where collected honors like diploma and the medal for the Best Film from the Student Jury at XXII International Film Festival Message To Man in Saint-Petersburg, Best Film on indigenous people at Parnü, Estonia among others and is still being screened as official selection in more festivals to come.

The Academy nominated three highly honored feature films that have and still are collecting honors in general and documentary-only festivals. All have quite interesting stories and from trailers seem to have great visuals.

The nominated documentary films will be made available to the 2,700 members of the European Film Academy. They will vote for the winner who will be presented at the 25th European Film Awards on 1 December in Malta.

You can read more information about each film as well as watch trailers @MOC

The Girl

Sometimes is safer to admire the oeuvre of a master filmmaker than learning about the person behind the movie, the personal life of much admired directors. I am completely torn with this movie, wishing that I never saw it and at the same time somehow glad that I did not skip it. But whatever I resolve later, I sincerely hope that what I saw in this film and what I been reading will not spoil Hitchcock for me. Then truth is that I have seen almost all his films and even if for a moment I thought about seeing again one of his great masterpieces, Marnie, definitively will not now that have this story too fresh in my mind.

Film is not the story of the filming of The Birds as I suspected thanks to trailers and headlines. This is the story of Tippi Hedren and how in the hands of Hitchcock she learned to act, she became a movie star thanks to the two movies she did with Hitchcock and the probable reason why, after getting out of her contract, she never was able to work in big productions again.

My spontaneous reaction was to try to find what was true and what was not; unfortunately seems that what we see here is mostly true. Still is a good dramatization of truth that know will highly impact you if you admire Hitchcock and especially if you're a woman. If you are not familiar with Hitchcock then probably story will bore you before reaches the key turning point and will be glad that is a made for TV movie as you can stop watching just by changing the channel.

Film is shockingly disturbing. Shocking because tells a side of Alfred Hitchcock that I never imagined, a side that could easily come from many of the stories told in his movies, a side that seems fiction more than truth. But as far as I was able or willing to see and read, seems that is not much fiction.

Disturbing because I find film very well built; starts fine, evolves fine and after a key scene in a car while filming The Birds story turns dark and Toby Jones' Hitchcock characterization starts to produce in front of you layers of unthinkable cruelty and mental abuse like not often you are able to see in the screen, big or small. From that key moment film takes a very disturbing downturn that does not stop until Hitchcock explicitly request sexual services from Hedren, a scene that I will have edited out as in my opinion deludes the highly disturbing element to make film pedestrian for the last few minutes before the end. There was no need to be explicit, we already knew it, there was no need to be spelled out for us. See what bothered me less in this film was everything about his sexual overtures, what is really disturbing is the manipulation, the use of power, the mental abuse.

But have to admit that is a good movie that will make you feel lots of emotions, most of the non-positive kind. To be honest there were a few moments that I forgot I was watching a movie about Hitchcock and started to feel like I was watching a movie directed by Hitchcock, that's how good this movie can be at times. Performances are good with Tobey Jones slowly transforming in front of you and probably is the best of Sienna Miller I have seen; great as always in smaller roles Imelda Staunton and Penelope Wilson.

A film that I suggest women should decide before watching IF they are willing to see a disturbing movie about how a man destroys a woman and to those Hitchcock hard fans I strongly suggest you skip film, even if you already know about the director darker side.

Not a film to enjoy but to keep the rating system here goes the closing line.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Update

In the middle of a house move at the moment, which is why updates have been thin on the ground. I'm also starting a new job which may continue to keep things on the quiet side around here for the next few weeks.

Currently Watching: Red Dwarf Season 10 (okay), Chuck Season 5 (entertaining), Merlin Season 5 (rather PG Game of Thrones-esque this year).

Currently Reading: The Middle Kingdom by David Wingrove.

Currently Playing: Dishonored, XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

7 Días en La Habana (7 Days in Havana)

Seven shorts compilation about Havana that could have been more like a tourist bureau advert for Cuba if it was not for some shorts fabulous directors with great storytelling style. But to be fair, each of the seven shorts show different aspects of what life in Cuba could be or is right now.

I did not enjoyed all shorts but wasn't expecting to do so as the eclectic group of directors had one I'm not familiar with, one I dislike and the rest are extraordinary directors, storytellers and filmmakers in my book. So let's be brief and start with the ones I like.

Thursday - Dairy of a Beginner by Elia Suleiman

Absolutely fabulous but I am a huge Elia Suleiman fan that always goes crazy for his deadpan performances as Suleiman not only directs but also performs. Believe that in the surface story is about a foreigner that comes to Havana to interview a prominent Cuban figure and to kill time wanders around town; but to me short is a very spiced critique that imagine Cuban sensors did not get as film is included in collection.

Tuesday - Jam Session by Pablo Trapero

Again I'm truly surprised that Cuban sensors allowed this short to be in the compilation as while on the surface tells a very simple story about a well-known director travelling to Cuba to receive an award in a film festival, short message depth goes from awards disdain to show a bitter glimpse in the life of a musician. Then in always peculiar Trapero style short is great and realistic plus the well-known director role is played by none other than Emir Kusturica. In all shorts music plays a great role, but none like the one it plays here.

Sunday - La Fuente by Laurent Cantet

A very elegant tale considering the short theme as is about Santeria with an old woman dreaming Oshun asking for a celebration the same evening and the whole neighborhood helping to make it happen. Story is the excuse to show people ingenious ways to survive, which yes is also a surprise short is in compilation. Very interesting work that in my opinion shows Cantent's different filmmaking style while the storytelling style is absolutely his.

Friday - Ritual by Gaspar Noé

A more normal tale about Santeria darkish side portraying a "limpia" (cleaning) in a lesbian young girl as parents want to get the "devilish" lesbian tendencies away from her. Very dark cinematography that perfectly shows Gaspar Noé very peculiar great style.

Wednesday - La tentación de Cecilia by Julio Medem

In the most melodramatic Medem's style a tale about decisions to leave or leave not the island. Short has what I find not so great performance by Daniel Brühl (usually like his performances) probably due to him speaking Spanish. Not surprisingly this is the hotter short in the compilation. Short is entertaining but nothing more.

Saturday - Dulce Amargo by Juan Carlos Tabío

Not familiar with director but very familiar with Jorge Perugorría that always gives great performances and in here is not the exception. To me short has a style similar to Latin American soap operas, which I do not like but it is watchable as tells about life of what elsewhere could be called upper-middle class family while in Cuba is regular working class. Indirectly related to Santeria but you only know until you see the finished cake. With this short you notice that all short stories have a relationship.

Monday - El Yuma by Benicio del Toro

Don't enjoy Benicio del Toro acting or directing and this short is no exception as not only has the silliest story about how dumb Americans are in foreign lands but short style is truly awful. Ted Atkins performance is not that bad but definitively this story in the hands of a more accomplished director would have look and feel a lot better. Still, I know this is about the ONLY short that surely will be more understandable and enjoyable to general audiences.

As mentioned music is an important element in the shorts and worth mentioning that also cinematography is remarkable in some of the shorts. In general production values are good in all shorts.

Now I am thinking that maybe Cuban sensors have become more relaxed and are allowing out stories that show how life in Cuba, even if could seem hard for foreigners, is very normal/enjoyable for the island citizens. Yes, that's it... probably.

Nevertheless if you enjoy the work of many of the great directors included in this compilation I suggest you don't skip their shorts, but highly recommend you watch them in the compilation as there is a thin relationship between the shorts stories and the order each short is shown -which is not how I listed them here- has an intention. Film was screened in competition at Un Certain Regard section of 2012 Cannes Official Selection.

Enjoy!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Moonrise Kingdom

I am not a Wes Anderson fan as find his movies "strange", always with a "strange" cast and the kind of movie with stories that you do not really know what to think but you keep watching until the end. In this movie he has his usual "strange" cast with some of his regulars and keeps his also "strange" filmmaking style BUT this time his storytelling style was a lot more accessible for me to enjoy it, which was a huge surprise.

Think is the first Anderson film that I truly enjoy because story absolutely fits his peculiar storytelling style, his strange characters plus actors odd performances become quite entertaining and in general, watching film becomes a great ride into the two young lovers "sweet" romance. Then perhaps the most surprising for me was that film allows to feel emotions, which absolutely is not characteristic of this director. Yes, I felt emotions while watching this film, including melancholy about long gone from my life situations, when innocence prevailed.

Now I understand why 2012 Cannes opened with this very unusual film that definitively highly surpassed my expectation in my Cannes Preview plus has become the first and up-to-date ONLY Wes Anderson film that I truly like. So if you are like me that tend to dislike Anderson's films suggest to give film a try and maybe you will enjoy it.

Film tells how a small town in an island off the coast of New England in the 1960's is turned upside down while searching for a young boy and young girl that fell in love and due to their own oddness are moved to run away together. Quite a credible story which also is not characteristic of this director. But obviously is how he tells story what makes film entertaining while reflecting his peculiar filmmaking style.

Most unusual for me is to find Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Harvey Keitel and Jason Schwartzman very enjoyable as usually I do not enjoy their performances but here their very odd performances absolutely fit Anderson's style. Tilda Swinton's performance was great as always but too short for me.

Let's hope that Wes Anderson with this film found his "true call" as film definitively shows an evolved, more mature and more accessible storyteller and filmmaker; a hope that comes so he continues travelling and evolving into same or similar directions. I don't really want this to be the only Wes Anderson film I like.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

The Angels' Share

When Ken Loach does his particular kind of realism his films are not easy to watch especially when you consider the implications of what you are seeing. This film is no exception but what really surprises viewers familiar with director films is that movie is very funny! I was no exception. I really laugh hard with this movie and as some of you know, is not easy to make me laugh.

Humor has always been a great vehicle to portrait difficult matters but as we know humor is also a very personal matter. I believe that the kind of humor that Loach uses in this film is of the more universal kind that could appeal to wider audiences while still get the strong message about the bleak future that many young people currently face all over the world and especially in the so-called "First World" countries, those countries were young people used to have a future and now they don't.

Consider that I laughed hard even when know that surely didn't get most of the funny things happening with language as I am not Scottish and was impossible for me to get the many subtleties related to their culture and the use of language. This is one movie that wish could have seen with some Scottish friends that could -later- tell me more nuances about this great film. So if you have the opportunity to watch film with Scots around you I highly recommend you do it. Still, if you don't also know that movie could and will make you laugh enough to enjoy the ride and get the strong message.

Film tells the story of Robbie that barely escapes a prison sentence and goes to do some community service where he finds some pals that are all in a similar situation as himself. He and his small group of friends were given a last chance and you have no idea how well they take advantage of it. If I tell you more perhaps you could question the story plausibility but I can assure that while watching and after you will not as you have to remember that you are in the hands of a master filmmaker that plays with non-actor Paul Branningan (Robbie) extremely well as he also does with us viewers.

Actors performances are incredibly good and think that urban Scotland never looked so great as in this film that obviously has high production values; but is how Loach was able to almost perfectly assemble all the pieces what makes this film a very enjoyable ride. Can't help but tell you that perhaps this is the most mainstream Loach film but in this case I really do not mind as he made me laugh while highly enjoying the ride.

This 2012 Cannes in competition film is a must be seen movie from master storyteller and filmmaker Ken Loach, both to director's fans as well as to those that are not familiar with his movies as I know that after watching this film some will be interested in seeing his previous ones.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

On The Road

Was reading my Cannes preview for this film and to my surprise found that I was expecting something very specific, take a look:

Great visuals ... a non-traditional narrative style (done in the editing room), hopefully interesting enough to find some similarities to the written style of the book -but I know this will be hard, still will be a great surprise. Last, good performances by actors that I know can do great character interpretations.

The most interesting thing is that I found in this movie exactly what I was expecting, which of course I absolutely forgot until I read the preview today.

First let me give a brief background. I am very familiar with Jack Kerouac, have read the On The Road novel a long time ago, know quite a lot about the Beat Generation, both as a literary movement as well as a cultural expression. The very first cultural expression that influenced and marked me was this one and I was extremely young, a kid. With all this in mind I have to admit that I highly enjoyed this Walter Salles film as yes, has great visuals, editing is just FANTASTIC, and performances are quite good with very special mention to Garret Hedlund that absolutely steals the movie.

But think I figured out why this movie has so many non-positive reviews from professionals as well as from many viewers. Seems that those that have seen movie and are familiar with Kerouac, as an era icon and/or the author of the novel, did not like the movie because the book has something the movie doesn't have: very rich language. I agree with them. Then those that are NOT familiar with Kerouac and/or the novel, find film without a narrative, fragmented, episodic, and boring. I understand them.

So, why did I liked this movie so much? In my opinion screenwriter José Rivera did an outstanding work with very difficult material, but Walter Salles was able to do with the script something that I find even more extraordinary. Salles was able to capture and show the "spirit" of the Beat Generation as a cultural expression. That's exactly what hit me hard while watching this film; maybe not from the beginning as yes, I started watching with a very analytical and skeptic eye. Honestly I was expecting NOT to like film. But there was a moment when I stopped seeing the great visuals and following the short sketches or fragments -if you wish- as I was completely lost, immersed into the "spirit" of what I was seeing. To me, this is shockingly surprising and truly amazing, as never imagined that Salles could be able to understand and so effectively transmit/show a primordially American culture expression.

Won't get into explaining how the Beat Generation manifested as a cultural expression but will share that what you literally see in movie has some "modifications" done probably to please this century audiences. I'm talking about the female characters that are too strong while in those years, in the Beat Generation literature, in the novel and in reality, were not as then cultural expressions were very male chauvinist oriented. The major consequence is that we see Dean Moriarty as a far less attractive figure than he is when seen exclusively from Kerouac's point of view. Besides this issue, I find that what literally was shown is a good interpretation of the Beat Generation "spirit".

More than the story of Sal Paradise (character channeling Jack Kerouac) to me this film tells the story of Dean Moriarty (character channeling Neal Cassady) so we are literally exposed to manifestations of sexual freedom -including homosexuality-, drugs consumption, jazz as body expression, rules/laws disdain, despise economic materialism, vigorously express a desire to live the moment as intensely as possible and more. To me those (and more) are elements that compose the "spirit" of the Beat Generation.

I know this film is NOT for general audiences, not even for those that enjoy non-mainstream, art films; tend to believe that this film has what I think is a very small niche target group as surely nowadays the Beat Generation is forgotten, left to history annals, gone into oblivion. Yes, I believe film could only move those that still recall the Beat Generation "spirit". Then surely will displease Kerouac fans, the novel fans, and everybody else, especially those that see movie looking forward to watch all the sex scenes, including the gay interest ones, as I think all sex scenes are truly not pleasant to watch.

I saw the shorter version which I highly regret as definitively I could have watched more fragments which were shown in the original version at 2012 Cannes. Tend to believe, according to the map in the preview, that the shorter version cut the trip to Canada and maybe more. Really hope that in the future we are able to watch the full version, the original version as shown in Cannes. Sigh.

Once I got into the film "spirit" I was absolutely mesmerized, doubt that many of you will have my experience that after the end left my head spinning for a long while; still, IF you dare to see film, I hope you will be able to enjoy this outstanding film.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS

Dated Released : 2 December 2011
Quality : BRRip 720p
Info : www.imdb.com/title/tt1430607
IMDB Rating : 7.2 (2,661 users)
Star : James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy
Genre : Animation | Comedy | Drama
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By: icinema3satu.com


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Seiring perkembangan zaman, Santa Claus pun mulai mengubah cara kerjanya. Kalau semula ia hanya mengendarai kereta salju yang ditarik oleh rusa, kini Santa sudah mulai memanfaatkan teknologi canggih untuk menjalankan tugasnya setiap tahun.

Tepat di bawah lapisan es Kutub Utara adalah markas besar Santa Claus. Di sinilah tersembunyi semua teknologi canggih yang digunakan Santa selama ini. Santa tak tinggal sendirian di sana. Ada Grandsanta (Bill Nighy), Mrs. Santa (Imelda Staunton), Steve (Hugh Laurie), dan Arthur (James McAvoy). Tahun ini adalah tahun spesial buat Arthur karena tahun ini ia akan mengemban misi penting yang harus ia kerjakan sebelum fajar menjelang.

PROJECT ETERNITY smashes funding goals

As covered previously, Obsidian Entertainment have been working on a brand-new, 'old-school' RPG with the working title Project Eternity. The game is heavily influenced and inspired by their own classic games (when they were working as Black Isle), such as Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale and the early Fallout games, as well as those of their associated companies, such as BioWare's Baldur's Gate titles. To help fund the title, Obsidian requested fans to pledge $1.1 million via the Kickstarter crowdfunding website.

Click for massive version.

A month later, the Kickstarter has come to an end with Obsidian having raised $3,986,929 via the website, plus an additional $140,099 in PayPal contributions. The result being that the game achieved all of its planned stretch goals and will now be radically enhanced as a result. This includes the game now shipping on PC, Mac and Linux platforms, in multiple languages and with several added areas (including a whole new city and a major, 14-level dungeon complex).

The game is tentatively set for release in April 2014.

38th César Awards - Short Films Official Selection

For the first time the French Academy has published a schedule of their activities for the 2012-2013 award season which makes me think that they are becoming more "online professional" as not only recently changed and improved their official site but also now they are sharing with the world information about all their activities, voting process and more. Very interesting and most welcomed by us that love French cinema of the great kind.

Most interesting is to discover that next year the César Awards ceremony will be on Friday, February 22, 2013 two days before the American Academy awards and one day before the Spirit Awards, so February last weekend will be very busy for many of us. Also, worth noting is that the press conference where the nominations will be announced will take place on Friday, January 25, 2013.

Now we officially know that the voting process includes two rounds, the first to select the nominees and the second to select the winners. The first round starts on Wednesday, January 2, 2013 and closes at midnight Thursday, January 24. The second round starts on Friday, February 1, 2013 and closes on Friday, February 22 at 4pm for online voting and Tuesday, February 19 for paper voting. Can't deny that is interesting to notice that online voting is closed the same day the award winners will be announced as suggests that the Academy has gone "full force" into believing in the power of the Internet. Great.

As the Academy becomes more tech savvy, covering these awards becomes more interesting for me as now information will be available and to start the more detailed coverage of a cinema I truly love, today I'm sharing the first available information regarding short films.

Short Films Official Selection

The Academy Short Films committee selected the following twelve (12) short films that will be screened to Academy members at Le Balzac in Paris from December 1 to 8, 2012. Screenings ALSO are open to the public, so if you are near Le Balzac theater I suggest you do not skip this great opportunity. Last, Academy members will receive the DVD will all the shorts at the end of December for private viewing. This is the voting first round that will select the five (5) nominees that will be announced on January 25, 2013

These are the short films

Ce n'est pas un film de cow-boys (It's Not a Cowboy Movie), Benjamin Parent, 12'
Ce qu'il restera de nous, Vincent Macaigne, 40'
Le cri du homard (The Lobster Cry), Nicolas Guiot, 30'
Cross, Maryna Vroda, 15'
Et ils gravirent la montagne, Jean-Sébastien Chauvin, 35'
Fais Croquer, Yassine Qnia, 35'
Jeunesses françaises (French Kids), Stéphan Castang, 19'
Les Meutes, Manuel Schapira, 14'
Oh Willy..., Emma de Swaef and Marc Roels, 17'
Sur la Route du Paraids, Houda Benyamina, 44'
La Vie Parisienne, Vincent Dietschy, 36'
Vilaine fille mauvais garçon (Two Ships), Justine Triet, 30'

As we can see the short films category includes short and medium-lenght films; worth noting that some short films come from famous festivals. Read films info and see trailer or photos @MOC

25th European Film Awards Discovery Award Nominations

The European Film Academy announced today the nominees for the EUROPEAN DISCOVERY 2012 – Prix FIPRESCI, an award presented annually as part of the European Film Awards to a young and upcoming director for a first full-length feature film.

This year’s nominations were determined by a committee comprised of EFA Board Members Helena Danielsson (Sweden) and Els Vandevorst (Netherlands), EFA Members Pierre-Henri Deleau (France) and Jacob Neiiendam (Denmark), as well as Alin Tasciyan (Turkey), Paulo Portugal (Portugal), and Mihai Chirilov (Romania) as members of FIPRESCI, the International Federation of Film Critics.

These are the five (5) nominated films

10 Timer Til Paradis (Teddy Bear), Mads Matthiesen, Denmark
Broken, Rufus Norris, UK
Kauwboy, Boudewijn Koole, Netherlands
Портрет в сумерках Portret V Sumerkhak (Twilight Portrait), Angelina Nikonova, Russia
Die Vermissten (Reported Missing), Jan Speckenbach, Germany

Among the nominees we find the 2012 Sundance Festival Directing Award to Mads Mathiensen for his film Teddy Bear about a 38-year-old bodybuilder Dennis would really like to find true love. He has never had a girlfriend and lives alone with his mother in a suburb of Copenhagen. When his uncle marries a girl from Thailand, Dennis decides to try his own luck on a trip to Pattaya, as it seems that love is easier to find in Thailand. He knows that his mother would never accept another woman in his life, so he lies and tells her that he is going to Germany. Dennis has never been out traveling before and the hectic Pattaya is a huge cultural shock for him. The intrusive Thai girls give big bruises to Dennis' naive picture of what love should be like, and he is about to lose hope when he unexpectedly meets the Thai woman Toi.

The opening film of the 2012 Cannes Semaine de la Critique with a very interesting cast and story about a young girl in North London whose life changes after witnessing a violent attack, Broken by award-winning theatre director Rufus Norris. Synopsis: Skunk is 11, diabetic, and pretty cool. The summer holidays have just begun and her days are full of easy hopes. Then Mr. Oswald, the ugly man who lives opposite, beats up Rick, the sweet, but unstable boy next door after his daughter accuses the boy of rape, and Skunk's innocence begins to be drained away at a speed and in a way she cannot control. Her home, her neighborhood, her school - all become treacherous environments where the happy certainties of childhood give way to a fear-filled doubt, and a complex, broken world fills her future. Skunk seeks solace in the last remaining place where she knows she can find it - the unspoken friendship with sweet, damaged Rick - and falls into a chaos where suddenly, joyfully, she has choice thrust back into her hands. The choice to remain in this place she was never promised, or to leave it entirely - to live or to die. Film is currently in competition for Best British Newcomer Award at 2012 BFI London Film festival.

The 2012 Berlinale Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk Grand Prix winner and First Movie Award, Kawboy by Boudewijn Koole that also won 2012 EFA's Young Audience Award, is Netherlands' submission to Oscar, has more honors in the festival circuit and a story about a lively 10-year-old with a difficult home life marked by a volatile father and an absent mother, finds solace in an abandoned baby jackdaw. Through the special friendship he builds with the bird, the wall between him and his father will be brought down.

The winner of the Golden Puffin at the 2011 Reykjavik IFF, Golden Alexander and Hellenic Association of Film Critics Award at 2011 Thessaloniki Festival, Grand Prize winner of the 2011 Cottbus Film Festival of Young East European Cinema: Twilight Portrait by Angelina Nikonova with what seems has to be a hard to watch story about Marina, an upper-crust social worker with a doting husband and an enviable downtown apartment, is suddenly transformed into a bizarre twilight version of herself when she is raped by three policemen.

The 2012 Berlinale Perspektive Deutches Kino official selection Reported Missing by Jan Spekenbach with the following story synopsis: All of a sudden, 16-year-old Martha vanishes. Her father Lothar, who for years has had no contact with her or his ex-wife, sets off unwilling to find her. He soon realizes other young people are also vanishing from the city inexplicably. Lothar follows their trail across the country. He meets the occasional young person but the trail goes cold. In the next city he encounters militia groups and a reinforced police presence. Children are forbidden to be on the streets unless accompanied by adults. The world has changed...

As we can see nominees have quite impressive credentials, compelling stories (some surely not easy to watch) and debut directors with films that show their great master potential.