I saw both, and liked both. Hurt locker and Up in the air are very indie, artsy compared with Avatar. In a way, Avatar is too main stream for me. There is nothing new in terms of story in Avatar, I only liked the 3D special effects. You have to understand that not everyones taste is the same. Some actually prefer a good story rather then dances with smurfs. Hurt Locker was interesting if you relised that it shows depression, how war really fucks people up, how some could cope with it while others can't. How some becomes so addicted to the life, to the adrenalin rush, that they keep going back for more. As for Up in the Air, it was basically a love story, with several allegory on the GFC thrown in. On how people are becoming impersonal, retrenchment being the norm in corporate culture. How outsourcing, which is a bit like the distance computer firing scheme the prodigy was proposing in the film, affects people, and won't work. How people, even if they say they prefer to be alone, ultimately seeks companionship. Which is highlighted by the main character and his lover in the film. I really hope Avatar don't win several of the Oscars it got nominated for. There are definitely far more interesting film out there then this. Even Daybreakers, B-grade as it maybe, has a much more interesting premise of what happens if vampires ruled the earth, then Avatar.
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Avatar by James Cameron
- Thread starter singveld
- Start date
Can't get enough of Avatar ?
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soundtrack
Soundtrack Review: Avatar by James Horner (2009)
Movie Soundtrack Review: This is a review of the motion picture score Avatar by James Horner.
“James Cameron has got the perfect score for Avatar, even though the score itself is not perfect.”
Easily one of the most anticipated scores to come out this year amongst some big contenders. James Horner has worked his ass off for years to make a great score for James Cameron’s epic sci-fi movie about the Na’Vi world and the (mostly) evil humans and their avatar characters. It has been hyped up by just about everyone and it’s supposed to be a massive orchestral score of epic proportions. First I got hold of part of a cue from Avatar, then 1 minute previews of all the tracks on the score. We can’t wait any longer! James Horner is back ladies and gentleman so sit back and enjoy the ride.
Track List
01. ”You Don’t Dream In Cryo. ….” (****)
02. Jake Enters His Avatar World (****)
03. Pure Spirits Of The Forest (****)
04. The Bioluminescence Of The Night (*****)
05. Becoming One Of ”The People” Becoming One With Neytiri (*****)
06. Climbing Up ”Iknimaya – The Path To Heaven” (*****)
07. Jake’s First Flight (****)
08. Scorched Earth (*****)
09. Quaritch (*****)
10. The Destruction Of Hometree (****)
11. Shutting Down Grace’s Lab (*****)
12. Gathering All The Na’vi Clans For Battle (****)
13. War (*****)
The Criticism
Every single time James Horner releases new work, the same criticism and discussions arise about him re-using his stuff. It never fails, and it used to be amusing, but now I just find it annoying. If the music is good, then it’s good, it’s not rocket science folks. If the music is bad (and it happens, even for Horner), then fair enough, but don’t say you hate it because he uses the 4 note danger motif or any other strange reason to hate him. Another funny thing I’ve read on forums is that some people get disappointed because he spent so long on this. What has that got to do with anything? The fact is, James Horner is king when it comes to fusing what’s going on in the movie with a great piece of emotional music. There’s simply no one better at it today, and I stand by that remark.
As for the score itself, after we all heard the various previews and some got excited, some didn’t. I firmly place myself in the excitement camp. I admit, I have put Avatar on a pedestal, expecting James Horner to shine more than he has ever done before. This of course leads to extremely high expectations and Horner almost succeeds in meeting them. The first part of the score is much more calm than the second part. There’s some jungle rhythms in there and there’s also the use of ethnic vocals. Now clearly, if you don’t like either of these things, this one will be hard to truly enjoy. The main theme heard in a number of cues is not Horner’s greatest work, but it does work in the movie itself. The movie has gotten great reviews and several have commented on how great the score works in the movie. Those who know James Horner, weren’t surprised by this as it is his main strength.
According to other sources, this score was supposed to be hugely epic and orchestral. Is it? Yes… to a degree. There’s certainly traces of electronica in cues like The Bioluminescence of the Night, but it’s hardly the main thing here. Voices are a big part of the score, to the innocent boy chanting along in the beginning of Becoming One of “The People” Becoming One With Neytiri’. It really works great. More vocals in Climbing Up “Iknimaya – The Path to Heaven”. It’s a beautiful cue mostly based on a choir singing with hypnotic jungle percussion in the background. The fact that it sounds like Glory, makes it even better in my mind.
The 4-Note Motif
You can’t have a Horner score without the hated Rachmaninoff 4-note motif of doom of course, and yes it is here as well. Stay away from the cue The Destruction of Hometree if you hate it, because it will be repeated without remorse at the end. Personally I have no problem with it. It was brilliant when Rachmaninoff wrote it, and just because Horner uses it, doesn’t make it less brilliant. It propels the action and when you see it on screen within the context of the movie, you’ll love Horner for it.
James Horner loves to make those long cues, and I love him for that. It seems like him and Hans Zimmer are the ones consistently doing it. The last cue War, is a wonderfully epic and choral ending cue. It is 11 minutes and 22 seconds long , and every second of it is great. One of the best action cues this year for sure. It sounds like a trailer song to be honest, starting with a violent epic choral section that represents the humans with their war machines. At 0:50 it changes to a more soft, but still epic theme with horns and some choral bits as well to represent the Na’Vi heroes. It changes back and forth as the humans and the Na’Vi advance. The humans have an evil sound, which almost reminds me of the Nero cues from Star Trek by Michael Giacchino. It’s beautifully put together with the epic scenes that unfold as machine meets nature in one of the most epic battles ever produced on screen. The Na’Vi sections of the cue are heroic in nature with horns, making it a perfect representation of the good guys. This cue is war, and it never lets go of you until the very end, where war finally ends. It is one of those cues that makes you go “wow!” every single time you play it. Pure gold from Horner and I wouldn’t be far off the mark if I say that this cue is one of the best cues he has ever made.
There isn’t much negative to say about this score, unless you get stuck counting the Horner-isms and similarities with other work by certain composers. I just listen to this score as music, and music can be interpreted in many ways. For example, the opening cue You Don’t Dream In Cryo… is clearly lifted from Trevor Rabin’s play book which you can clearly hear from 1:40 to 2:32. On first listen, you might think that it sounds like a Hans Zimmer or a Remote Control Productions score, but that feeling goes away after the second listen –for me at least. It’s James Horner all the way for better or worse.
Conclusion
I could probably say a lot more about this score and James Horner and I’ll say this much. James Cameron has got the perfect score for Avatar, even though the score itself is not perfect. James Horner has spent over a year making this, but that doesn’t matter in the end. Hans Zimmer created Lion King in about 3 weeks, so it can work for you or against you, when you spend a lot of time on something. In this case, this is his best score since Beyond Borders in 2003. I wanted to give this a 10, but it’s not a 10 score overall due the following: The main theme doesn’t do it for me. I love James Horner’s themes, and the theme in Avatar is quite good, but I was expecting a lot more. The year is coming to an end and I feel this is one of the best scores this year. People are whispering about Oscars due to the immense success of the movie. Who knows? I would personally be surprised to see Horner’s name when the nominations are released. Oscar-worthy or not, it’s a solid score worthy of the praise the movie has gotten so far.
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Soundtrack Review: Avatar by James Horner (2009)
Movie Soundtrack Review: This is a review of the motion picture score Avatar by James Horner.
“James Cameron has got the perfect score for Avatar, even though the score itself is not perfect.”
Easily one of the most anticipated scores to come out this year amongst some big contenders. James Horner has worked his ass off for years to make a great score for James Cameron’s epic sci-fi movie about the Na’Vi world and the (mostly) evil humans and their avatar characters. It has been hyped up by just about everyone and it’s supposed to be a massive orchestral score of epic proportions. First I got hold of part of a cue from Avatar, then 1 minute previews of all the tracks on the score. We can’t wait any longer! James Horner is back ladies and gentleman so sit back and enjoy the ride.
Track List
01. ”You Don’t Dream In Cryo. ….” (****)
02. Jake Enters His Avatar World (****)
03. Pure Spirits Of The Forest (****)
04. The Bioluminescence Of The Night (*****)
05. Becoming One Of ”The People” Becoming One With Neytiri (*****)
06. Climbing Up ”Iknimaya – The Path To Heaven” (*****)
07. Jake’s First Flight (****)
08. Scorched Earth (*****)
09. Quaritch (*****)
10. The Destruction Of Hometree (****)
11. Shutting Down Grace’s Lab (*****)
12. Gathering All The Na’vi Clans For Battle (****)
13. War (*****)
The Criticism
Every single time James Horner releases new work, the same criticism and discussions arise about him re-using his stuff. It never fails, and it used to be amusing, but now I just find it annoying. If the music is good, then it’s good, it’s not rocket science folks. If the music is bad (and it happens, even for Horner), then fair enough, but don’t say you hate it because he uses the 4 note danger motif or any other strange reason to hate him. Another funny thing I’ve read on forums is that some people get disappointed because he spent so long on this. What has that got to do with anything? The fact is, James Horner is king when it comes to fusing what’s going on in the movie with a great piece of emotional music. There’s simply no one better at it today, and I stand by that remark.
As for the score itself, after we all heard the various previews and some got excited, some didn’t. I firmly place myself in the excitement camp. I admit, I have put Avatar on a pedestal, expecting James Horner to shine more than he has ever done before. This of course leads to extremely high expectations and Horner almost succeeds in meeting them. The first part of the score is much more calm than the second part. There’s some jungle rhythms in there and there’s also the use of ethnic vocals. Now clearly, if you don’t like either of these things, this one will be hard to truly enjoy. The main theme heard in a number of cues is not Horner’s greatest work, but it does work in the movie itself. The movie has gotten great reviews and several have commented on how great the score works in the movie. Those who know James Horner, weren’t surprised by this as it is his main strength.
According to other sources, this score was supposed to be hugely epic and orchestral. Is it? Yes… to a degree. There’s certainly traces of electronica in cues like The Bioluminescence of the Night, but it’s hardly the main thing here. Voices are a big part of the score, to the innocent boy chanting along in the beginning of Becoming One of “The People” Becoming One With Neytiri’. It really works great. More vocals in Climbing Up “Iknimaya – The Path to Heaven”. It’s a beautiful cue mostly based on a choir singing with hypnotic jungle percussion in the background. The fact that it sounds like Glory, makes it even better in my mind.
The 4-Note Motif
You can’t have a Horner score without the hated Rachmaninoff 4-note motif of doom of course, and yes it is here as well. Stay away from the cue The Destruction of Hometree if you hate it, because it will be repeated without remorse at the end. Personally I have no problem with it. It was brilliant when Rachmaninoff wrote it, and just because Horner uses it, doesn’t make it less brilliant. It propels the action and when you see it on screen within the context of the movie, you’ll love Horner for it.
James Horner loves to make those long cues, and I love him for that. It seems like him and Hans Zimmer are the ones consistently doing it. The last cue War, is a wonderfully epic and choral ending cue. It is 11 minutes and 22 seconds long , and every second of it is great. One of the best action cues this year for sure. It sounds like a trailer song to be honest, starting with a violent epic choral section that represents the humans with their war machines. At 0:50 it changes to a more soft, but still epic theme with horns and some choral bits as well to represent the Na’Vi heroes. It changes back and forth as the humans and the Na’Vi advance. The humans have an evil sound, which almost reminds me of the Nero cues from Star Trek by Michael Giacchino. It’s beautifully put together with the epic scenes that unfold as machine meets nature in one of the most epic battles ever produced on screen. The Na’Vi sections of the cue are heroic in nature with horns, making it a perfect representation of the good guys. This cue is war, and it never lets go of you until the very end, where war finally ends. It is one of those cues that makes you go “wow!” every single time you play it. Pure gold from Horner and I wouldn’t be far off the mark if I say that this cue is one of the best cues he has ever made.
There isn’t much negative to say about this score, unless you get stuck counting the Horner-isms and similarities with other work by certain composers. I just listen to this score as music, and music can be interpreted in many ways. For example, the opening cue You Don’t Dream In Cryo… is clearly lifted from Trevor Rabin’s play book which you can clearly hear from 1:40 to 2:32. On first listen, you might think that it sounds like a Hans Zimmer or a Remote Control Productions score, but that feeling goes away after the second listen –for me at least. It’s James Horner all the way for better or worse.
Conclusion
I could probably say a lot more about this score and James Horner and I’ll say this much. James Cameron has got the perfect score for Avatar, even though the score itself is not perfect. James Horner has spent over a year making this, but that doesn’t matter in the end. Hans Zimmer created Lion King in about 3 weeks, so it can work for you or against you, when you spend a lot of time on something. In this case, this is his best score since Beyond Borders in 2003. I wanted to give this a 10, but it’s not a 10 score overall due the following: The main theme doesn’t do it for me. I love James Horner’s themes, and the theme in Avatar is quite good, but I was expecting a lot more. The year is coming to an end and I feel this is one of the best scores this year. People are whispering about Oscars due to the immense success of the movie. Who knows? I would personally be surprised to see Horner’s name when the nominations are released. Oscar-worthy or not, it’s a solid score worthy of the praise the movie has gotten so far.
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S
Sun Wukong
Guest
'Avatar' finally toppled from top spot
"Avatar" dethroned at box office by "Dear John" (Reuters)
<cite class="reuters">Source: Reuters</cite> 3 hours, 17 minutes ago
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The new romantic drama "Dear John" unexpectedly ended the seven-week reign of "Avatar" at the weekend box office in North America on Sunday, pulling in large numbers of young female moviegoers. "Dear John" grossed an estimated $32.4 million in the three-day period since opening Friday, said distributor Screen Gems, the low-budget division of Sony Corp..
It had hoped for an opening of about $20 million on a weekend when many Americans forsake movies to watch the Super Bowl, traditionally the year's most-watched television broadcast. The football championship starts around 6:25 pm in Miami. "Dear John" stars Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried as lovers whose romance is curtailed by the September 11 attacks. It is directed by Swedish filmmaker Lasse Hallstrom and based on "The Notebook," a novel by Nicholas Sparks.
Audiences for the film were 84 percent female and two-thirds were under the age of 21, Sony said. The last romantic comedy to hit theaters was the widely panned "Leap Year" about a month ago. "The Lovely Bones," another box office disappointment, also has made a play for young women after failing to get any traction during the annual movie awards season. "Avatar" earned $23.6 million in its eighth weekend, taking its total to $630.1 million. James Cameron's sci-fi blockbuster surpassed the $601 million haul of his 1997 release "Titanic" last Tuesday to become the biggest movie of all time in the United States and Canada. The data are not adjusted for ticket-price inflation or for the higher cost of 3D engagements. The film was released by 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp..
TRAVOLTA TRIPS
John Travolta's latest box office offering, "From Paris With Love," was the actor's worst start in almost a decade. The crime thriller opened at No. 3 with $8.1 million, falling short of modest industry expectations. Travolta's previous worst opening was the $4.5 million start for "Lucky Numbers" in October 2000. Travolta was in theaters last November with "Old Dogs," which opened at ticket sales of $17 million.
"From Paris With Love" was distributed by Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.. French filmmaker Pierre Morel directed it. Many critics ripped both new releases. Also new to the top 10 was "Crazy Heart," which expanded nationally after seven weekends in limited release on the heels of its three Oscar nominations on Tuesday. The picture earned $3.65 million, jumping six places to No. 8. Jeff Bridges, its star, is considered the favorite to take home the best actor Oscar on March 7 for his role as a washed-up country music singer and songwriter. It was released by Fox Searchlight, the art-house unit of 20th Century Fox. "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker," now out on DVD, led the Oscar field with nine nominations each.
(Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Paul Simao)
"Avatar" dethroned at box office by "Dear John" (Reuters)
<cite class="reuters">Source: Reuters</cite> 3 hours, 17 minutes ago
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The new romantic drama "Dear John" unexpectedly ended the seven-week reign of "Avatar" at the weekend box office in North America on Sunday, pulling in large numbers of young female moviegoers. "Dear John" grossed an estimated $32.4 million in the three-day period since opening Friday, said distributor Screen Gems, the low-budget division of Sony Corp..
It had hoped for an opening of about $20 million on a weekend when many Americans forsake movies to watch the Super Bowl, traditionally the year's most-watched television broadcast. The football championship starts around 6:25 pm in Miami. "Dear John" stars Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried as lovers whose romance is curtailed by the September 11 attacks. It is directed by Swedish filmmaker Lasse Hallstrom and based on "The Notebook," a novel by Nicholas Sparks.
Audiences for the film were 84 percent female and two-thirds were under the age of 21, Sony said. The last romantic comedy to hit theaters was the widely panned "Leap Year" about a month ago. "The Lovely Bones," another box office disappointment, also has made a play for young women after failing to get any traction during the annual movie awards season. "Avatar" earned $23.6 million in its eighth weekend, taking its total to $630.1 million. James Cameron's sci-fi blockbuster surpassed the $601 million haul of his 1997 release "Titanic" last Tuesday to become the biggest movie of all time in the United States and Canada. The data are not adjusted for ticket-price inflation or for the higher cost of 3D engagements. The film was released by 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp..
TRAVOLTA TRIPS
John Travolta's latest box office offering, "From Paris With Love," was the actor's worst start in almost a decade. The crime thriller opened at No. 3 with $8.1 million, falling short of modest industry expectations. Travolta's previous worst opening was the $4.5 million start for "Lucky Numbers" in October 2000. Travolta was in theaters last November with "Old Dogs," which opened at ticket sales of $17 million.
"From Paris With Love" was distributed by Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.. French filmmaker Pierre Morel directed it. Many critics ripped both new releases. Also new to the top 10 was "Crazy Heart," which expanded nationally after seven weekends in limited release on the heels of its three Oscar nominations on Tuesday. The picture earned $3.65 million, jumping six places to No. 8. Jeff Bridges, its star, is considered the favorite to take home the best actor Oscar on March 7 for his role as a washed-up country music singer and songwriter. It was released by Fox Searchlight, the art-house unit of 20th Century Fox. "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker," now out on DVD, led the Oscar field with nine nominations each.
(Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Paul Simao)
Avatar Going 4D in Korea With Smells, Lasers
Enjoy Avatar in new smell-o-vision!
Avatar may be opening the door to mainstream 3D movies, but a Korean cinema is adding an extra dimension, making to 4D.
The 4D screening adds to the experience moving seats, smells of explosives, sprinkling water, laser lights and wind, according to Variety. The added cost to attend such a show more than doubles to the U.S. equivalent of $15.80. (An average ticket in Korea costs $6.90.)
While the added sensual experience wasn't a part of James Cameron's vision, the Korean division of Fox have been working it since last summer. "We (started to) prepared the 'Avatar' 4D ride last summer," says Tom Oh of 20th Century Fox Korea.
Avatar in 4D is being shown in Korea's leading multiplex chain, CJ-CGV, and has shown more than 10 different 4D-enhanced films over the last year.
"There is no 4D theater like ours around the world. CGV's 4D plex is the first in the world that fully offers five-sense experiences with a movie title," says Kim Daehee, publicity manager of CJ-CGV.
Enjoy Avatar in new smell-o-vision!
Avatar may be opening the door to mainstream 3D movies, but a Korean cinema is adding an extra dimension, making to 4D.
The 4D screening adds to the experience moving seats, smells of explosives, sprinkling water, laser lights and wind, according to Variety. The added cost to attend such a show more than doubles to the U.S. equivalent of $15.80. (An average ticket in Korea costs $6.90.)
While the added sensual experience wasn't a part of James Cameron's vision, the Korean division of Fox have been working it since last summer. "We (started to) prepared the 'Avatar' 4D ride last summer," says Tom Oh of 20th Century Fox Korea.
Avatar in 4D is being shown in Korea's leading multiplex chain, CJ-CGV, and has shown more than 10 different 4D-enhanced films over the last year.
"There is no 4D theater like ours around the world. CGV's 4D plex is the first in the world that fully offers five-sense experiences with a movie title," says Kim Daehee, publicity manager of CJ-CGV.
02-12-10
(AP) JERUSALEM -- Palestinian protesters have added a colorful twist to demonstrations against Israel's separation barrier, painting themselves blue and posing as characters from the hit film "Avatar."
The demonstrators also donned long hair and loincloths Friday for the weekly protest against the barrier near the village of Bilin.
They equated their struggle to the intergalactic one portrayed in the film.
Israel says the barrier is needed for its security. Palestinians consider it a land grab.
The protests have become a symbol of opposition. They often end in clashes with Israeli security forces involving stones and tear gas.
The "Avatar" protest comes a day after the Israeli government began rerouting the enclosure to eat up less of the Palestinian village.
EVEN PALESTINIAN PROTESTORS LOVE AVATAR
(AP) JERUSALEM -- Palestinian protesters have added a colorful twist to demonstrations against Israel's separation barrier, painting themselves blue and posing as characters from the hit film "Avatar."
The demonstrators also donned long hair and loincloths Friday for the weekly protest against the barrier near the village of Bilin.
They equated their struggle to the intergalactic one portrayed in the film.
Israel says the barrier is needed for its security. Palestinians consider it a land grab.
The protests have become a symbol of opposition. They often end in clashes with Israeli security forces involving stones and tear gas.
The "Avatar" protest comes a day after the Israeli government began rerouting the enclosure to eat up less of the Palestinian village.
EVEN PALESTINIAN PROTESTORS LOVE AVATAR
Cameron not returning to 'Terminator'
Friday, February 19 2010
By Mike Moody, US Entertainment Reporter
James Cameron has said that he has no plans to ever return to the Terminator franchise.
The Avatar director helmed the first two instalments of the sci-fi series that helped launch Arnold Schwarzenegger's acting career.
Speaking to MTV, the Oscar winner said: "I have stepped so far away from the Terminator universe... To me, it's run its course."
Cameron stated that he does not intend to play any part in a new incarnation of the franchise, adding: "The soup's kind of been p*ssed in a little bit by other filmmakers."
Hedge fund Pacificor recently won the rights to Terminator following a heated bidding war.
California Governor Arnold Schwarznegger presents the Santa Barbara International Film Festival's Modern Master Award to James Cameron, Oscar-nominated director for the film "Avatar", in Santa Barbara, Calif. , Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010.
Friday, February 19 2010
By Mike Moody, US Entertainment Reporter
James Cameron has said that he has no plans to ever return to the Terminator franchise.
The Avatar director helmed the first two instalments of the sci-fi series that helped launch Arnold Schwarzenegger's acting career.
Speaking to MTV, the Oscar winner said: "I have stepped so far away from the Terminator universe... To me, it's run its course."
Cameron stated that he does not intend to play any part in a new incarnation of the franchise, adding: "The soup's kind of been p*ssed in a little bit by other filmmakers."
Hedge fund Pacificor recently won the rights to Terminator following a heated bidding war.
HOLLYWOOD - MARCH 07: Actress Zoe Saldana arrives at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards held at Kodak Theatre on March 7, 2010 in Hollywood, California.
Actress Zoe Saldana, who brought 'Avatar's' Neytiri (above) to life, did not score an Oscar nod for her performance. Director James Cameron blames a misunderstanding of the movie's technology.
Oscar Winner 2010: Best Visual Effects: Avatar
Sunday, March 7, 2010
The winner of the 2010 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects goes to Avatar. Seriously, if anyone else won in this category it would have been a crime against humanity. Upon accepting the award the winners thanked James Cameron and the actors for trusting the visual effects team with their performances even though it wasn’t easy. They also stated that the world we live in is just as amazing as the one they created. How profound.
See who he beat out this year in the Best Visual Effects category…
The nominees for Best Visual Effects were:
Avatar – Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
District 9 - Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
Star Trek– Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton:
Avatar: This film centers around Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) who wakes up in a VA hospital where he is surrounded by wounded war veterans. He then finds himself dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission where he is torn between doing what he is told protecting the world he feels is his home.The Sci-fi adventure also stars Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang.
District 9: The Neil Blomkampfilm is about an extraterrestrial race of aliens forced to living on Earth under bad conditions who find a kindred spirit in a government agent that is exposed to their biotechnology. The Sci-fi thriller stars Sharlito Copley, Jason Cope and Nathalie Boltt and a bunch of other unknowns.
Star Trek: The film follows a young James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) before they unite aboard the USS Enterprise to combat Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan from their future who threatens the United Federation of Planets. It is the eleventh film based on the Star Trek franchise and includes all the original characters. Directed by JJ Abrams, the Sci-fi action adventure also stars Zoe Saldana and Bruce Greenwood.
Oscar Winner 2010: Best Visual Effects: Avatar
Sunday, March 7, 2010
The winner of the 2010 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects goes to Avatar. Seriously, if anyone else won in this category it would have been a crime against humanity. Upon accepting the award the winners thanked James Cameron and the actors for trusting the visual effects team with their performances even though it wasn’t easy. They also stated that the world we live in is just as amazing as the one they created. How profound.
See who he beat out this year in the Best Visual Effects category…
The nominees for Best Visual Effects were:
Avatar – Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
District 9 - Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
Star Trek– Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton:
Avatar: This film centers around Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) who wakes up in a VA hospital where he is surrounded by wounded war veterans. He then finds himself dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission where he is torn between doing what he is told protecting the world he feels is his home.The Sci-fi adventure also stars Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang.
District 9: The Neil Blomkampfilm is about an extraterrestrial race of aliens forced to living on Earth under bad conditions who find a kindred spirit in a government agent that is exposed to their biotechnology. The Sci-fi thriller stars Sharlito Copley, Jason Cope and Nathalie Boltt and a bunch of other unknowns.
Star Trek: The film follows a young James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) before they unite aboard the USS Enterprise to combat Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan from their future who threatens the United Federation of Planets. It is the eleventh film based on the Star Trek franchise and includes all the original characters. Directed by JJ Abrams, the Sci-fi action adventure also stars Zoe Saldana and Bruce Greenwood.
Oscar Winner 2010: Best Visual Effects: Avatar
Avatar, King of The Box-Office World Not King of The Awards World
Really, looking back, did "Avatar" even stand a chance?
"Avatar" is still raking in the profits, but failed to produce the critical success that Cameron's previous film, "Titanic," generated 12 years ago. In fact, "Avatar" -- the most financially successful film of all time -- was easily the most mocked film of the evening.
Sure, it was an easy target. No other nominated film featured blue aliens. Oscar co-host Steve Martin participated in a bit where he used bug spray to defend himself against "Avatar's" jellyfish-like creatures. Ben Stiller attempted his best Na'vi impression as a presenter -- oh, that could have been much, much worse.
However much audiences may enjoy the visually stunning imagery in "Avatar," it seems, when it comes to the Oscars, nothing beats real, live human beings.
Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick Goldstein sums up this sentiment by writing, "My suspicion is that academy members still find it difficult to believe that films largely created and sculpted in the computer--whether it's "Avatar" or the long string of brilliant Pixar films -- can be just as worthy and artistic as the old-fashioned live-action ones."
But if anyone was going to defy the big-budget-visual-effects-films-don't-win-Oscars rule, everyone seemed to think it could be James Cameron.
In 1997, James Cameron's other box-office behemoth, "Titanic," accomplished the rare feat of box-office and Oscar dominance. "Titanic" was nominated for a record 14 Academy Awards and won a record 11 awards. "Avatar" only won three of its nine nominations: Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, and Best Visual Effects. Cameron's "Titanic" also won those same three awards, plus 6 others, including the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director; "Avatar" lost Best Picture and Best Director to "The Hurt Locker."
"Avatar" had the unfortunate luck -- if you can call a movie that's made over $2.5 billion worldwide "unfortunate" -- of being right smack in the middle of the science fiction genre. A genre that, historically, doesn't win Oscar gold no matter how successful financially. In 1977, "Star Wars" became the most financially successful film of all time but lost the Best Picture Oscar to "Annie Hall." Similarly, in 1982 "E.T." set box-office records but lost the Academy Award to "Ghandi." The closet thing to science fiction to ever win Best Picture would be 2003's "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" -- and even that film series needed three attempts before it finally won.
This year, Cameron was frustrated that his film wasn't taken seriously as an "actor's film." He worked hard in his Oscar campaign to spread the notion that actors acting in front of green screens and using computer generated technology are just as worthy as actors not engulfed by special effects. (Actors make up the largest segment of the voting Academy.) Clearly, the campaign did not go over so well at the Oscars. However unfair it may be, it seems no one likes the idea of being replaced by a machine.
Really, looking back, did "Avatar" even stand a chance?
"Avatar" is still raking in the profits, but failed to produce the critical success that Cameron's previous film, "Titanic," generated 12 years ago. In fact, "Avatar" -- the most financially successful film of all time -- was easily the most mocked film of the evening.
Sure, it was an easy target. No other nominated film featured blue aliens. Oscar co-host Steve Martin participated in a bit where he used bug spray to defend himself against "Avatar's" jellyfish-like creatures. Ben Stiller attempted his best Na'vi impression as a presenter -- oh, that could have been much, much worse.
However much audiences may enjoy the visually stunning imagery in "Avatar," it seems, when it comes to the Oscars, nothing beats real, live human beings.
Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick Goldstein sums up this sentiment by writing, "My suspicion is that academy members still find it difficult to believe that films largely created and sculpted in the computer--whether it's "Avatar" or the long string of brilliant Pixar films -- can be just as worthy and artistic as the old-fashioned live-action ones."
But if anyone was going to defy the big-budget-visual-effects-films-don't-win-Oscars rule, everyone seemed to think it could be James Cameron.
In 1997, James Cameron's other box-office behemoth, "Titanic," accomplished the rare feat of box-office and Oscar dominance. "Titanic" was nominated for a record 14 Academy Awards and won a record 11 awards. "Avatar" only won three of its nine nominations: Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, and Best Visual Effects. Cameron's "Titanic" also won those same three awards, plus 6 others, including the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director; "Avatar" lost Best Picture and Best Director to "The Hurt Locker."
"Avatar" had the unfortunate luck -- if you can call a movie that's made over $2.5 billion worldwide "unfortunate" -- of being right smack in the middle of the science fiction genre. A genre that, historically, doesn't win Oscar gold no matter how successful financially. In 1977, "Star Wars" became the most financially successful film of all time but lost the Best Picture Oscar to "Annie Hall." Similarly, in 1982 "E.T." set box-office records but lost the Academy Award to "Ghandi." The closet thing to science fiction to ever win Best Picture would be 2003's "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" -- and even that film series needed three attempts before it finally won.
This year, Cameron was frustrated that his film wasn't taken seriously as an "actor's film." He worked hard in his Oscar campaign to spread the notion that actors acting in front of green screens and using computer generated technology are just as worthy as actors not engulfed by special effects. (Actors make up the largest segment of the voting Academy.) Clearly, the campaign did not go over so well at the Oscars. However unfair it may be, it seems no one likes the idea of being replaced by a machine.
Avatar trilogy
ANYONE suffering withdrawl symptoms after the first Avatar movie can sleep easy.
Its creator JAMES CAMERON has agreed to produce two more installments of the award-winning film.
News of a sequel was already common knowledge, but confirmation of a third part was only announced today.
Feeling blue again ... Avatar sequels are on the wayCameron will write the screenplays for the films early 2011 with the aim of beginning production later that year.
The Oscar-winning director said: "With two new films on the drawing boards, my company and I are embarking on an epic journey with our partners at Twentieth Century Fox.
"Our goal is to meet and exceed the global audience's expectations for the richness of Avatar's visual world and the power of the storytelling.
"In the second and third films, which will be self contained stories that also fulfill a greater story arc, we will not back off the throttle of Avatar's visual and emotional horsepower, and will continue to explore its themes and characters, which touched the hearts of audiences in all cultures around the world.
"I'm looking forward to returning to Pandora, a world where our imaginations can run wild."
I can't wait...
ANYONE suffering withdrawl symptoms after the first Avatar movie can sleep easy.
Its creator JAMES CAMERON has agreed to produce two more installments of the award-winning film.
News of a sequel was already common knowledge, but confirmation of a third part was only announced today.
Feeling blue again ... Avatar sequels are on the wayCameron will write the screenplays for the films early 2011 with the aim of beginning production later that year.
The Oscar-winning director said: "With two new films on the drawing boards, my company and I are embarking on an epic journey with our partners at Twentieth Century Fox.
"Our goal is to meet and exceed the global audience's expectations for the richness of Avatar's visual world and the power of the storytelling.
"In the second and third films, which will be self contained stories that also fulfill a greater story arc, we will not back off the throttle of Avatar's visual and emotional horsepower, and will continue to explore its themes and characters, which touched the hearts of audiences in all cultures around the world.
"I'm looking forward to returning to Pandora, a world where our imaginations can run wild."
I can't wait...
Re: Avatar trilogy
oh no, no more chances of avatar 2
===========
James Cameron gets ready to dive to the Mariana Trench
By Rebecca Morelle
Science reporter, BBC News, Guam
Before he set off for the Mariana trench, James Cameron told the BBC's Rebecca Morelle why he was risking it all to make the dive
Hollywood director James Cameron may be close to making a dive to the deepest place on Earth.
In a one-man submarine, he plans to dive 11km (seven miles) down beneath the waves to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, in the western Pacific.
There has only ever been one dive there, and that was half a century ago.
We are there to do science, but we are also there to take the average person who only imagines these things and show them what it is really like”
James Cameron
Mr Cameron and his team have set sail to reach the trench and are now waiting for a clear stretch of weather to begin the dive.
The BBC met up with the director in Guam, just before he set out for the high seas. This tiny tropical island is the nearest major landmass to the Mariana Trench - the focus of Mr Cameron's ambition.
In the balmy heat, the team was making last-minute preparations for this journey to the deepest depth in the seas.
The Abyss and Titanic director has had a long-standing obsession with the oceans, but now he has created for himself the ultimate part.
In a prototype submarine, called the Deepsea Challenger, that fits just one person, he plans to make the first manned mission to the bottom of the trench for 50 years.
See the deep sea subs racing to the ocean floor
He says he came up with the idea while he was using submersibles to film a documentary on the wreck of the Bismarck, a German battleship that lies 4,800m (17,500ft) underwater.
"I started to think about what would it take to go deeper, what would it take to go to full ocean depth - that was kind of the holy grail from an engineering standpoint," he told BBC News.
"So you start 'noodling' up designs, and thinking how it would be possible and what would it take. And then there is suddenly this moment that seems to transpire with no transition where you are suddenly doing it."
He adds: "I seem to have that curse that once I imagine something being built, I have to build it."
Mr Cameron and his team have spent the last few days in Guam, docked at the port, re-supplying the ship that has been their home for the last few months.
They arrived straight from Papua New Guinea, where the filmmaker performed a successful 8,200m test-dive. But the ultimate challenge will be to see whether their vessel can plumb the ocean's deepest point.
They will need calm seas to launch and recover the sub - but while in the harbour, a strong wind has blown in, white caps topping the waves.
Engineer David Wotherspoon shows off the Deepsea Challenger
The team are doing everything they can to make the sub as safe as they possibly can - but the weather is out of their control.
The craft, which is housed on the ship's deck in a large, air-conditioned hangar, is bright green, weighs 11 tonnes and is more than 7m (23ft) long.
Once in the ocean, it flips on its end, and descends vertically through the water column.
The empahsis is on total safety
The compartment in which Mr Cameron will spend his nine-hour dive is tiny: a thick, metal sphere with an internal diameter of just 109cm (43in). He will be curled up inside, unable to stretch his arms or legs.
The rest of the sub is made from specially designed syntactic foam, similar to the sort of thing a surf board is made from.
It counterbalances the weight of the pilot's compartment, which will have to keep the filmmaker safe from 1,000 atmospheres of pressure.
The submarine has been built and designed by an Australian team of engineers - many of whom have worked on James Cameron's films. And a lot of elements of the craft come straight out of the movie industry.
Like many on the team, Dianna Bisset has brought her theatrical skills to the project
Australian engineer Ron Allum, who co-designed the sub with Mr Cameron, is an expert at creating rigs that attach hi-tech cameras to submersibles.
But the Deepsea Challenger is the first submersible that he has built from scratch.
It is packed full of 3D cameras and huge lighting systems so that the director can capture the excitement of the voyage all the way to the bottom.
The straps that keep the pilot's sphere attached to the foam have been created by Dianna Bisset, who designs harnesses used in films and stage productions that help actors and dancers to "fly".
Even the life-support system has a theatrical link: its project manager John Garvin spent years playing the lead in the hit musical Buddy.
Don Walsh (left) will be very pleased to see his feat matched by the movie director
Mr Cameron fondly describes the 30-strong group as an "extremely talented, rag-bag bunch".
He says: "They have to be the kind of people who don't accept the normal limitations.
"They all have to be a bit 'whacked' to think it is possible to do something that is normally the province of governments or scientific instructions."
The director plans to release a documentary with footage captured on his dives - but he also has science in mind.
The sub, which has been financed by Mr Cameron along with National Geographic and Rolex, is fitted with robotic arms that can bring sediment, rocks and samples of deep-sea flora and fauna back up to the surface.
When he attempts the Mariana dive, a science team, headed up by Doug Bartlett from the Scripps Institute, will be dropping a lander - also kitted out with 3D cameras - which is baited to attract any passing life.
Continue reading the main story
What lurks in the deep?
Ocean trench: Scroll 11,000m down
Mr Cameron says: "Every single dive, I'm going to see something no-one's ever seen before.
"I'm going to do my best to image it, light it properly, bring it back in 3D - grab samples if I can, grab rocks if I can.
"We are there to do science, but we are also there to take the average person who only imagines these things and show them what it is really like."
Don Walsh, who made the first and the only manned mission to the Mariana Trench with Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard in 1960, has joined the team at sea for the dive.
The former US Navy captain has been bombarded with questions by the crew about his vessel, the bathyscaphe Trieste.
He's happy that 50 years after his dive, someone could finally be about to go back.
The sub will first make an unmanned trip to the bottom of the trench
He says: "This sub looks a little bit different from the way ours did, but I can see our fingerprints all over, 50 years later here.
"Our legacy of manned exploration was all of the technologies and innovations that we begat."
As the team set off from Guam, friends, family and colleagues wave and cheer until their ship fades into the distance.
If they can get a few days of good weather on their side, the team hopes to first make an unmanned 11km dive with the sub, to check it works properly at this deepest of ocean depths - and then it will be time for James Cameron to enter the craft and take the reins.
He tells the BBC: "I think the apprehension is before you are in the sub. Once I'm in the sub, I'm in the office, open for business.
"Who knows what we might find - every dive will be a revelation. That I can say for sure."
The dive will be a colossal test for this sub.
But given the risks involved, it will also be a huge gamble for Mr Cameron himself.
======
he will squash like squeeze orange
oh no, no more chances of avatar 2
===========
James Cameron gets ready to dive to the Mariana Trench
By Rebecca Morelle
Science reporter, BBC News, Guam
Before he set off for the Mariana trench, James Cameron told the BBC's Rebecca Morelle why he was risking it all to make the dive
Hollywood director James Cameron may be close to making a dive to the deepest place on Earth.
In a one-man submarine, he plans to dive 11km (seven miles) down beneath the waves to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, in the western Pacific.
There has only ever been one dive there, and that was half a century ago.
We are there to do science, but we are also there to take the average person who only imagines these things and show them what it is really like”
James Cameron
Mr Cameron and his team have set sail to reach the trench and are now waiting for a clear stretch of weather to begin the dive.
The BBC met up with the director in Guam, just before he set out for the high seas. This tiny tropical island is the nearest major landmass to the Mariana Trench - the focus of Mr Cameron's ambition.
In the balmy heat, the team was making last-minute preparations for this journey to the deepest depth in the seas.
The Abyss and Titanic director has had a long-standing obsession with the oceans, but now he has created for himself the ultimate part.
In a prototype submarine, called the Deepsea Challenger, that fits just one person, he plans to make the first manned mission to the bottom of the trench for 50 years.
See the deep sea subs racing to the ocean floor
He says he came up with the idea while he was using submersibles to film a documentary on the wreck of the Bismarck, a German battleship that lies 4,800m (17,500ft) underwater.
"I started to think about what would it take to go deeper, what would it take to go to full ocean depth - that was kind of the holy grail from an engineering standpoint," he told BBC News.
"So you start 'noodling' up designs, and thinking how it would be possible and what would it take. And then there is suddenly this moment that seems to transpire with no transition where you are suddenly doing it."
He adds: "I seem to have that curse that once I imagine something being built, I have to build it."
Mr Cameron and his team have spent the last few days in Guam, docked at the port, re-supplying the ship that has been their home for the last few months.
They arrived straight from Papua New Guinea, where the filmmaker performed a successful 8,200m test-dive. But the ultimate challenge will be to see whether their vessel can plumb the ocean's deepest point.
They will need calm seas to launch and recover the sub - but while in the harbour, a strong wind has blown in, white caps topping the waves.
Engineer David Wotherspoon shows off the Deepsea Challenger
The team are doing everything they can to make the sub as safe as they possibly can - but the weather is out of their control.
The craft, which is housed on the ship's deck in a large, air-conditioned hangar, is bright green, weighs 11 tonnes and is more than 7m (23ft) long.
Once in the ocean, it flips on its end, and descends vertically through the water column.
The empahsis is on total safety
The compartment in which Mr Cameron will spend his nine-hour dive is tiny: a thick, metal sphere with an internal diameter of just 109cm (43in). He will be curled up inside, unable to stretch his arms or legs.
The rest of the sub is made from specially designed syntactic foam, similar to the sort of thing a surf board is made from.
It counterbalances the weight of the pilot's compartment, which will have to keep the filmmaker safe from 1,000 atmospheres of pressure.
The submarine has been built and designed by an Australian team of engineers - many of whom have worked on James Cameron's films. And a lot of elements of the craft come straight out of the movie industry.
Like many on the team, Dianna Bisset has brought her theatrical skills to the project
Australian engineer Ron Allum, who co-designed the sub with Mr Cameron, is an expert at creating rigs that attach hi-tech cameras to submersibles.
But the Deepsea Challenger is the first submersible that he has built from scratch.
It is packed full of 3D cameras and huge lighting systems so that the director can capture the excitement of the voyage all the way to the bottom.
The straps that keep the pilot's sphere attached to the foam have been created by Dianna Bisset, who designs harnesses used in films and stage productions that help actors and dancers to "fly".
Even the life-support system has a theatrical link: its project manager John Garvin spent years playing the lead in the hit musical Buddy.
Don Walsh (left) will be very pleased to see his feat matched by the movie director
Mr Cameron fondly describes the 30-strong group as an "extremely talented, rag-bag bunch".
He says: "They have to be the kind of people who don't accept the normal limitations.
"They all have to be a bit 'whacked' to think it is possible to do something that is normally the province of governments or scientific instructions."
The director plans to release a documentary with footage captured on his dives - but he also has science in mind.
The sub, which has been financed by Mr Cameron along with National Geographic and Rolex, is fitted with robotic arms that can bring sediment, rocks and samples of deep-sea flora and fauna back up to the surface.
When he attempts the Mariana dive, a science team, headed up by Doug Bartlett from the Scripps Institute, will be dropping a lander - also kitted out with 3D cameras - which is baited to attract any passing life.
Continue reading the main story
What lurks in the deep?
Ocean trench: Scroll 11,000m down
Mr Cameron says: "Every single dive, I'm going to see something no-one's ever seen before.
"I'm going to do my best to image it, light it properly, bring it back in 3D - grab samples if I can, grab rocks if I can.
"We are there to do science, but we are also there to take the average person who only imagines these things and show them what it is really like."
Don Walsh, who made the first and the only manned mission to the Mariana Trench with Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard in 1960, has joined the team at sea for the dive.
The former US Navy captain has been bombarded with questions by the crew about his vessel, the bathyscaphe Trieste.
He's happy that 50 years after his dive, someone could finally be about to go back.
The sub will first make an unmanned trip to the bottom of the trench
He says: "This sub looks a little bit different from the way ours did, but I can see our fingerprints all over, 50 years later here.
"Our legacy of manned exploration was all of the technologies and innovations that we begat."
As the team set off from Guam, friends, family and colleagues wave and cheer until their ship fades into the distance.
If they can get a few days of good weather on their side, the team hopes to first make an unmanned 11km dive with the sub, to check it works properly at this deepest of ocean depths - and then it will be time for James Cameron to enter the craft and take the reins.
He tells the BBC: "I think the apprehension is before you are in the sub. Once I'm in the sub, I'm in the office, open for business.
"Who knows what we might find - every dive will be a revelation. That I can say for sure."
The dive will be a colossal test for this sub.
But given the risks involved, it will also be a huge gamble for Mr Cameron himself.
======
he will squash like squeeze orange
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