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Check Out Jim Carrey's Bizarre New Website

Filed under: Tech Stuff

Someone spent a lot of time and energy building a Flash-heavy website for Jim Carrey that is overwhelming enough to confuse even the most web-savvy user. Besides the usual bio, filmography, TV appearances, and news items, there are tiny arrows to click on on that swoop you from one movie-inspired dimension to another. There's creepy music I couldn't turn off using Safari or Firefox until I randomly clicked on a little doodad on the homepage (note to developers: that's always a crowd-pleaser!). The problem is, the whole site is nearly impossible to navigate. Even the filmography page is practically useless for finding actual info on his past movies -- unless, of course, you would like to see the trailer for A Christmas Carol.

If you have split-second reflexes and click on the little dude who pops up and snaps a photo, you can see "informal" photos of Jim Carrey in real life -- covered in mud or snuggled up with his sweetie, Jenny McCarthy, or posing with a crab in his mouth. Click on the bird with a Jim Carrey head, and you're taken to his Twitter account. It's all very click-y, like a movie website. Which as we all know are, well, kind of annoying.

Because I am a nerd, I looked up the source code of the site, and the meta-description reads, "Explore the eccentric, psychedelic corners of Jim Carrey's mind on his official site. Discover archived appearances and movie trailers, behind the scenes clips, family photos and even notes from Jim himself!" Well, it is very psychedelic, I'll give it that.

If you're looking for a great, informative site for someone famous, I suggest you turn to the far simpler and yet more pleasing sites for Edgar Wright, which features funny photos, unseen video and on-set video diaries, and, smartest of all, links to buy his movies.

New Website Leverages Piracy Tool to Help Filmmakers

Filed under: Tech Stuff, Exhibition, DIY/Filmmaking, Movie Marketing

Since it's inception, bit-torrent has been the bane of filmmakers, film distributors, and studio shareholders alike. The popular file-sharing protocol has tons of legitimate uses, but there's no question that one of its largest uses is the mass dissemination of copyrighted material without permission of those who own said material; AKA movie piracy. However, a new service called VODO is planning on turning the worst aspect of peer-to-peer downloading into an advantageous new release platform for independent filmmakers.

The project, created by one of the gentlemen behind the movie piracy documentary Steal This Film, functions as an intermediary between downloaders and content creators and works a little something like this: A filmmaker interested in giving out his film for free submits their labor of love to VODO. A jury then approves the film for distribution, at which point it ends up on the VODO homepage as a bit-torrent download which can then be shared freely by users all over the world. Should a downloader enjoy a film and then want to support it, they can go back to the website which works as a portal directly to the filmmaker, be it to make a donation or ask for permission to show the film commercially.

The Internet Takes Control of Movie Marketing

Filed under: New Line, Fandom, Tech Stuff

A while back I wrote a little post about a movie that I would never see, and plenty of folks lined up to tell me that it was impossible to make a decision about a movie through word of mouth or what I had read on the Internet. Of course, I disagreed, because frankly how else can I make a decision about where to spend my hard earned time and money? But if I had to blame anyone for keeping me away from the movie theater that day, I'm going to have to blame the Internet. Yup, it was thanks to those sneak peeks and early screenings described in detail online that helped me make my decision before those battling robots ever took the stage. People are talking about movies more now than ever before thanks to social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook, and a new study from New Line's Web guru Gordon Paddison has proven that when it comes to movie marketing, all the action really is on the web.

What the report seems to be saying is that you need to know your audience if you want to sell your movie. Now, there are some daunting statistics that prove the power of the Internet when it comes to going to the movies, and if you aren't buying the effect the net can have on a film's success, keep in mind that 94% of all moviegoers are online, and 73% of moviegoers surveyed have profiles on a social networking site -- and if people are talking, you want to make sure it's positive because as the old commercial goes, they tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and before you know it, you have a flop on your hands.

After the jump: so what does this all mean for movie marketers?

Science Gone Wrong: The Robot Future Is Closer Than You Think

Filed under: Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Tech Stuff, Newsstand


It's a plotline straight out of the Terminator films: a highly evolved computer program controlling U.S. government weaponry goes rogue, defies its human masters, and sets out to exterminate all of humanity. Think it's just fiction? While humankind has yet to suffer a Judgment Day-style nuclear holocaust, the U.S. Air Force battled its own sentient SkyNet adversary this week when an MQ-9 Reaper combat drone broke free from human control during a mission over Afghanistan. The unmanned aerial vehicle, charmingly classified as a "hunter-killer," had to be shot down by a manned aircraft before it continued on its merry way – headed, according to an Air Force press release, "on a course that would depart Afghanistan airspace."

Now, I'm no weaponry expert, but I'm certain of one thing: that's not supposed to happen. Like, ever. Sure, technology goes awry from time to time, but only in the movies, right? Maybe not. Below, we pick five fictional pieces of movie science with actual real-world counterparts, and the terrifying implications that they bring for the future of humanity.

Twitter: Bringing You Ever Closer to the Fame Flame

Filed under: Fandom, Tech Stuff

If you're on Twitter, you already know that it's a drug. It's like a big get-together where you can talk to hundreds of people without committing yourself too seriously and before you know it ... poof ... you've just spent three hours talking about your summer reading. I've made a concerted effort to not let it overtake my life and I've generally succeeded.

But one aspect of Twitter that I find so pathetically alluring is the celebrity follow. Now, my time on Cinematical has already introduced me to a lot of Big Names, and while it's always fun and exciting to meet someone you like onscreen, it's often just work. Often, it's awkward work. I say that not to brag or play down the experience, but to stress that chasing celebrities just isn't my thing. Except on Twitter.

Twitter is like this shadowy, secret party where Hollywood's creme de la creme are eating, drinking, laughing, and filming, and they're coyly letting you watch. They casually drop names and TwitPics, and there's something about it that's so alluring once paired with a timestamp. The most recent example (and the one @scotteweinberg dared me to write about) was this Tweet from @F_Gary_Gray, director of the upcoming Law Abiding Citizen:



Continued below the jump

Watch This: Backstage on 'Women in Trouble'

Filed under: Comedy, Tech Stuff

Look, I know what you're thinking. I thought the same thing when this photo arrived in my inbox. And then I looked at the "backstage" footage from Women in Trouble, which you can see for yourself after the jump, and I was even more confused. The clip begins with porn star Elektra Luxx (Carla Gugino from Watchmen in a really questionable faux bondage ensemble over regular street clothes) announcing that she's here to tell you why you shouldn't see Women in Trouble. Fresh-faced prostitute Holly Rocket (Adrianne Palicki from Friday Night Lights) chimes in that she's also here to talk to you about why you should avoid the movie. It's not for people who don't like sex, "hot chicks in lingerie," "damn strong language," or, uh, spaceships, among other things. ("There is no spaceship in the movie," whispers Elektra to Holly.), Later, the two talk amongst themselves...

Introducing AOL's SlashControl!

Filed under: Site Announcements, Fandom, Tech Stuff, Distribution, Movie Marketing

I know Cinematical readers are just like our writers in that they need a steady supply of free movies and television 24/7. That's why sites like Hulu and Netflix Instant have been a gift from the Powers That Be, as you can see almost anything your heart desires at the weirdest times of the day or night. Now you'll have a new instant watch option with AOL's SlashControl.

SlashControl has just launched this week, and has partnered with more than 30 sites to bring you lots and lots of free television shows and movies. You'll be able to access content from ABC, CBS, CW, Showtime, Hulu, A&E, The History Channel, National Geographic, Crackle and the WB, and that's just the beginning. The site is very well designed, and has a search function that's even faster than Hulu's, so you can quickly kick yourself for not watching Session 9 while it was still available.

Right now, their movie selection is drawn from Hulu and Crackle, but they'll undoubtedly be branching out and offering unique content. But there's still enough to watch on here that you won't be bored, as you can overdose on 99 episodes of The A-Team in order to better debate the remake casting, or have a Daniel Day-Lewis double feature with The Boxer and The Last of the Mohicans. You know you want to, and the beauty of online watching is that SlashControl won't tell anyone what you're up to.

'Iron Man 2' Might Be Flying in 3-D

Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Disney, Paramount, RumorMonger, Tech Stuff, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels

I believe I've had to type 3D more times this week than I have in my Cinematical career thus far, and it's only Wednesday. I'm also seeing the birth of a new trend towards 3D rumor mongering and speculation which I want to say began with The Hobbit, but I would probably be very wrong. But I digress. Today, Ain't It Cool News is reporting that we might see Iron Man 2 converted into 3D.

According to Harry Knowles: "Right now, there is a 1 minute demo of Iron Man 2 converted to high quality digital 3D ... Right now the suits at Marvel & Paramount & now also Disney are considering this 1 minute. At the same time that this is happening, they are fishing for bids with 3 different companies to see what the cost and time it would take to convert Iron Man 2 to a complete 3D film." There's also talk that if they actually pay to convert Iron Man 2 to 3D, they might also do the same to the first Iron Man and rerelease it into theaters next May. Watch Jon Favreau's Twitter to see if this comes true or not.

As Knowles points out, if it does come to pass it would certainly be a game-changer for the upcoming Marvel slate. You might see Captain America, Thor, or The Avengers behind a pair of dorky glasses. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that, as I find the format too distracting to be enjoyable. But it would be a hell of a lot of fun to see Iron Man rereleased in 3D, and revamping an existing film seems better suited to this ongoing novelty than designing a film around some pop-out effects. I seem to be in the cranky minority when it comes to the 3D style though, and those who are enthusiastic for it are certainly winning the war for it.

Nicolas Cage Goes 3D in 'Drive Angry'

Filed under: Action, Independent, Thrillers, Casting, Lionsgate Films, Tech Stuff, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand

Every day, I get up and I wonder why the movie gods have never seen fit to grant us a Nicolas Cage movie in 3D. I can think of no flaw in The Wicker Man that a 3D bear suit punch couldn't fix altogether, and I know I'd be ten times more interested in The Sorcerer's Apprentice if we got some 3D trenchcoat swishing. But at last, my wish has been granted, though it probably won't be until 2010, 2011 or something, as The Hollywood Reporter has announced Cage will Drive Angry in three-freaking-D!

Directed by Patrick Lussier, who co-wrote the script with Todd Farmer, Drive Angry centers on a man who is driven literally and figuratively by rage. What has filled him with such unquenchable anger? Why, a gang that killed his daughter and kidnapped her baby. He's hunting them down, one by one, and mile by mile. I'm just going to quote THR here because to paraphrase would be a sin: "The vendetta / rescue spins out of control as the chase gets bloodier by the mile, leaving bodies strewn along the highway." If you thought Vanishing Point was too boring and 2D, Drive Angry will be the film for you.

Drive Angry
will be burning rubber and leaving its gasoline fumes all over Shreveport, Louisiana in April, courtesy of Nu Image / Millennium Films' new Louisiana studio. As we wait for Cage to pop out of the screen, you can revive our Love Him or Tolerate Him debate all over again!

The Disney Deal: Good News for Video Games Too?

Filed under: Deals, Disney, Warner Brothers, Fandom, Tech Stuff

Disney's $4 billion purchase of Marvel means the gloves are coming off when it comes to comic books and all the possibilities for making money off of them, from toys and cartoons to movies and video games – and video game movies.

Disney is just one of the media conglomerates that's digging deeper into the video game world, and while that does include some rather unfortunate tie-in titles like "Hannah Montana: Rock Out the Show," it also includes really good games like "Kingdom Hearts," a role-playing game featuring classic Disney characters like Goofy, Donald Duck, and Mickey Mouse. And while I haven't played it myself, at least one video game girl professional told me I absolutely must play "G-Force." Seriously.

Right now Warner Bros. is definitely beating the other media giants, both with movie/comic book tie-ins like "Batman: Arkham Asylum" and innovative new games like "Scribblenauts." Now that Disney has its mitts on Marvel, we can expect plenty of Marvel superheroes and villains getting the Disney (well, hopefully Pixar) treatment. Is it possible that Disney will step up its game, so to speak, when it comes to competing with WB and DC's superior titles?

 
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