Avatar News: Banned in China, 23 Minute Featurette, and Man Dies From Excitement Dan Koelsch, January 20, 2010January 20, 2010 James Cameron’s Avatar tends to attract some pretty strange news. There has already been the report of a woman getting shot during an Avatar screening, and now we have another death related to Avatar. More on this story, plus China banning the film, and a 23 minute behind-the-scenes featurette. After Avatar had the biggest opening in China’s history, the Chinese government has pulled the 2D version of the film from all cinemas, according to BBC News. Why? The official statement from China’s State Administration of Radio, Film and Television is that the 2D sales were poor (only 1/3 of the total revenue), so this is standard practice. However, not everyone is buying this answer. Critics of the decision are claiming that the film’s message is what caused it to be downsized. The film’s plotline of forcing natives to move for a corporation mirrors the country’s efforts to move citizens in order to build lucrative property. Also, the fact a movie with this message has done so well scares the Chinese government, so replacing with with more Communist-friendly films both supports the government and homegrown cinema. Interestingly enough, in the same part of the world, a Tawainese man died days after seeing Avatar in theaters. The 42 year old man apparently had already had health problems, and his doctor claims watching the movie made the man over-excited and thus caused his fatal stroke. Lastly, Yahoo has a nice behind the scenes featurette on Avatar that’s longer than most at over 22 minutes. Take a look: News Avatar
Viral Video Round Up: The Simpsons, Jingle All The Way, Home Alone, Critics Choice Awards, And More! January 22, 2012The Internet is full of videos related to movies, whether they be fan made, studio made, or somewhere in between. We regularly bring you the best, most interesting, or just plain weirdest, and today we do it again. Check out the latest viral videos after the break. Read More
News “TRON: Legacy” Roundtable Interviews With Writers Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis, and Producer Justin Springer December 4, 2010December 6, 2010TRON: Legacy, Disney’s sequel to their cult hit of the 1980s will hit theaters in just a few days, and I got a chance to have a roundtable interview with the filmmakers to talk about the development of the film and how the viral marketing campaign played a factor. You… Read More
French Student Film Mimics Cloverfield May 19, 2010May 22, 2010Go to YouTube. Search for “Cloverfield”. Watch all the crappy amateur videos that try desperately to imitate the 2008 hit film. With its handheld camera style and unique intensity, J.J. Abrams’ Cloverfield brought a great new spin to the monster movie. Given its style, many have tried to replicate its… Read More