Monsters. Better Than Both Cloverfield and District 9
Source: List.co.uk
Young British filmmaker Gareth Edwards’ astonishing science fiction thriller combines the immersive excitement of Cloverfield with the astute political allegory of Distrtict 9, and, far from being a rip-off, is actually a much better film than either of those blockbusters. That would be a great achievement in its own right, but the revelation that not only did Edwards write and direct his debut but he also shot it, sourced the production design and created the visual effects marks the arrival of a supremely promising new talent.
Set in the near future, six years after the Earth has succumbed to an extra-terrestrial invasion, Monsters tells the story of a cynical American journalist (Scoot McNairy) who reluctantly agrees to escort a traumatised tourist, his boss’ daughter (Whitney Able), through an infected zone in Mexico to the US border. Thrown together by close encounters of the alien kind, the odd couple fall for one another and their romantic union offers them a startling new perspective on the gigantic squid-like invaders.
More HERE
Composer Takes Us Inside Deathly Hallows Score
Via: MTV Movie News
With “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” continuing to rake in major box-office cash, the fan appetite for all things Potter has yet to be satisfied. Here at MTV News, we’re doing our part to serve the public’s Potter thirst by getting fans as close to the action as possible. First with juicy interviews and fun videos, and now with a few behind-the-scenes features that highlight the nuts and bolts of Potter filmmaking.
In this latest installment, we turn our attention toward what is heard, not seen: the film’s score, created by celebrated and highly sought-after composer Alexandre Desplat. When MTV News caught up with the very busy man (in the past five years, he has composed scores for at least four films per year, including “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” to name a few), we talked about incorporating John Williams’ very distinct theme into his own work and how the fantastical elements in the world of Potter allowed the introduction of new, unique instruments.
MTV: With so many projects on your plate, when do you sleep?
Alexandre Desplat: Well, because I was expecting your phone call, I was on the edge of actually taking a five-minute nap, because it’s been a long day and I don’t sleep much, honestly. It’s a crazy life because I’ve always dreamed of being a film composer. I’ve never dreamed of being a concert composer or an opera composer; I wanted to work for movies, and now I have all these incredible projects coming towards me. … And all these films, of course, they collide because they’re late or they’re early, and so I have no life. I just work 18 hours a day, every day. And I don’t go on holidays. And so, I guess I will die young. [Laughs.]
MTV: In jumping on a “Harry Potter” film, which has had several different composers over the course of seven films, how do you go about incorporating John Williams’ very distinct theme, while still making it your own?
Desplat: My education as a film composer, you can’t not — if you like the orchestra like I do, if you are a symphonist like I am — you can’t not listen to John Williams’ work. So I knew, of course, his work on the “Harry Potter” films, on the early films that he did, and when it came to the theme, which is the old theme, it became just a conversation to have with the director where and how we could use it. And actually, there was not so many opportunities, just because this movie is different from the previous ones. It’s not in Hogwarts anymore. It’s not in the school, and they’re now young adults. And the only moments where we could use it was when we wanted to refer to their childhood and to this loss of innocence, which is actually the main theme of this film. These three young adults are losing childhood, and they’re moving forward to dangers and adulthood. So we’ve just very carefully used it here and there; not much, sadly. And actually, when I was thinking about the score and anticipating what I had to do, I was playing with this theme, because I really love it and I was happy to be able to arrange it differently.
The Rest Can Be Found HERE
I Am Number Four Movie Poster
From: Denofgeek
A potential early 2011 hit, this one, as director D J Caruso (Disturbia, Eagle Eye) tries his arm at a bit of science fiction. The film in question is I Am Number Four, a mix of action, science fiction and thriller, produced by Michael Bay.
The flick stars Alex Pettyfer as a human-looking alien who ends up in an American high school to avoid other aliens. Or something. And while the premise doesn’t offer too much meat to go on, we have had one trailer for the film thus far, which looked reasonably promising.
More HERE
Tom Hanks and Halle Berry in New Sci-Fi Film
Via: Worstpreviews.com
“I’m going to do a movie, probably in the summer, with the Wachowskis,” she said. “A really interesting movie that’s sort of what they did for ‘The Matrix.’ They have another really amazing idea that’s going to stretch our brains even further. And that’s with Tom Hanks and Natalie Portman.”
Earlier this year, it was said that James McAvoy and Ian McKellen were set to star in the movie and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) was set to direct. At the time, the Wachowskis were only producing, but now it seems that they have decided to get behind the camera.
The book is comprised of six parts that are loosely connected.
The BBC reports that the 84-year-old Queen and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh were the guests of honor. Some of the film’s biggest stars like Liam Neeson, Simon Pegg and Ben Barnes were also in attendance to greet fans amid frigid winter temperatures. Check out the BBC’s video coverage here.
“I’m told the Queen doesn’t see many movies,” Neeson, who reprises his role as the fierce Aslan the lion, stated to the press. “But they’re coming tonight and that’s pretty special.”
The Voyage of Dawn Treader — featuring other Brits such as Tilda Swinton, Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley — is the third installment based on British novelist C.S. Lewis‘s beloved fantasy books. It opens in theaters nationwide on December 10.
