I'm not entirely sure how this movie avoided my radar, but this morning the trailer you see before you popped up in my Twitter feed. It's a new film produced by George Lucas called "Red Tails" about the Tuskegee airmen in World War II.
While disappointing to some, Tron: Legacy certainly did not disappoint in one key area: visual effects. Digital Domain; the company behind visual powerhouses like The Fifth Element, Fight Club, and 2009's Star Trek; have been one of my favorite vfx houses for years.
Seriously.
Just take a gander at the video above. You'll see why they're among the best in the business.
Oh, and while you're at it, you should nab the Tron: Legacy Soundtrack
by Daft Punk. So good!
The movie absolutely rocks my socks. It rocks them directly off of my feet. Yet somehow, the film has yet to break even and make back the money it took to create it. This is utterly baffling and depressing to me.
I knew very little of the story of Scott Pilgrim when I walked into the theatre on opening weekend. I knew it was based on a comic book series; I knew it was directed by the same man that brought us gems like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz (the inimitable Edgar Wright); but beyond that, I wasn't sure what to expect.
What I got was a movie I define as a "game changer". Other examples of game changers are movies like The Matrix, Jurassic Park, and the Star Wars trilogy. Those are movies that fundamentally changed the way films that came after them were made. They are also movies that inspired future generations of filmmakers.
What Scott Pilgrim does so wonderfully well is that it playfully toys with reality. The main character, obviously named Scott Pilgrim, is a scrawny, pale, nerdy kid, but when he is challenged to a fight he punches, kicks and slashes like the best martial arts experts. When he defeats a foe, they inexplicably burst into coins. When someone utters an excessive swear word, their mouth is censored and characters in the scene notice it.
The film so brilliantly uses visual effects to convey the way in which Scott Pilgrim sees his world. Video game references pop into frame in the form of "Pee Bars" that deplete as Scott uses the bathroom, or 1-Ups when he needs to "get a life". Anime references are peppered throughout fight scenes in the form of streak lines and blurred fast-moving backgrounds.
It's this concept of "augmented reality" that I find so inspiring and appealing about Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. I, for one, don't go to the movies to see reality. I go to escape reality. And the undefined line between what's real and what isn't in Scott Pilgrim is one of the things I love about it. Who cares whether Scott can actually, physically fight? It's sure fun watching him do it anyway. Who cares whether or not love-interest Ramona Flowers can actually roller skate through Scott Pilgrims dreams? The metaphor still works (she's the girl of his dreams). All these questions and more are open to interpretation, and they ultimately aren't important to the story of the film.
It's this unliteral depiction of reality, ultimately, that I think will be the mark Scott Pilgrim leaves on modern cinema. Expect video game and anime references to continue to permeate movies as the years go by. And I would not be surprised if, in 20 years, we start hearing interviews with young filmmakers citing Scott Pilgrim vs. the World as their inspiration for getting into movies.
So, if you haven't seen Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, do yourself a favor and watch it. If you love it, buy it. Edgar Wright, et al, certainly could use a good pat on the back for this labor of love they have created.
And for now I leave you with one of my favorite things Guillermo Del Toro (fellow fan of Scott Pilgrim and personal friend of Edgar Wright's) said about video games and storytelling in a recent Q&A I attended in Los Angeles.
Yes, yes, I know, my blog has been on hiatus for many moons. Normally, I would apologize for something like this, but that would seem to imply that I was promising to blog more. I can't promise this. So, you guys are just gonna have to take when you can get. ;)
So... Avatar...
This is one of those movies that I have an extremely difficult time talking about, because there are essentially two aspects of the movie to talk about: The technical mastery on display in the film, and the story itself.
The story? Well, its a take it or leave it kind of thing for me. I am a huge fan of the universe James Cameron created. The world of Pandora feels fully realized. Creatures and plants make sense on this planet. But the story itself... well, it's a thinly-veiled Hollywood love story, with a tinge of environmentalism. Pretty standard stuff in Hollywood these days.
And then there's the technical side of things. Holy cow does this movie look amazing! The Na'vi characters all look astounding, and it's, by far, the best motion captured performances I've ever seen. The environments are bursting at the seems with life, and it's very easy to get wrapped up in what's happening on screen instead of how it's happening.
Which brings me to the other thing I wanted to say: 3D is not a fad. Right now it seems pretty much split down the middle, the number of people who either love 3D or hate it. Lots of people I know call it a fad or a gimmick.
I'm sorry to say it, but I think 3D is here to stay this time. Sure it came and went in the 1950's, but with Digital Projection and Polarization systems, 3D looks better, brighter, and more colorful than it ever has before. In fact, the only way 3D can get any better is if they find a way to recreate the effect without the glasses. (I know there are some prototype television sets that can supposedly do this, but I keep hearing their tech is ultimately flawed.)
Personally, after I've seen a film in 3D, I have a very difficult time going back and watching it again in 2D. I feel like there's a whole dimension to the film that I'm missing, mostly because, in fact, there is.
So there's a long, rambling collection of thoughts from my brain to yours. Again, no guarantee I'll be able to keep up the blogging, but, hey, I need to justify paying for a Squarespace account somehow! Oh yeah, and here's a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Avatar, for your trouble:
There are very few directors who I would say have a distinctive style. One they can call their own. Tim Burton is one of those directors. Another is Wes Anderson.
Now, it seems, Anderson is taking his style and applying it to a stop-motion animated movie. Namely, Fantastic Mr. Fox. While the animation isn't quite as silky smooth as, Coraline, the other stop-motion animated movie that was released this year, Anderson's penchant for wide-angle lenses, profile shots, and quirky dialog is clearly evident in the trailer above.
I'm not sure if I'll walk away loving this movie, but it is now guaranteed at least one ticket sale from this moviegoer.
Friday, July 29, 2011 at 1:24PM 
by Daft Punk. So good!;)