• Bet on Movies

    Timothy

    In June the Trend Exchange got federal approval to trade on box office returns — with the Cantor Exchange following close behind. What this means is that people will essentially be able to invest on the box office acting as a stock market; purchasing “contracts” (shares) before movies open.

    Howard Gantman of the MPAA believes that it doesn’t really serve a public purpose, and that it’s open for manipulation that could potentially damage films. According to the MPAA, this is only a form of gambling. Congress can still intervene with the approval.

    I’m on the fence with the issue — I can see where Gantman is coming from, but with that worry; film productions would have more incentive to produce quality work. There would be more at stake.

  • Marvel Develops a TV Division

    Timothy

    Marvel created a TV division to adapt its comic book characters into live-action and cartoons. There’s a lot of promise that it’ll bring all the characters under one universe, but with their own respective shows; which would make a lot of comic book fans happy — myself included.

    The only odd thing about Marvel Television at this point is their decision to hire Jeph Loeb to run it. He’s contributed to both Smallville and Heroes, so he does know the medium — but he doesn’t exactly have a good track record. The disjointed mess that Heroes became can be partly blamed on Loeb; with the constant characterization changes, plot changes at the drop of a hat, and story-arcs that ultimately went nowhere.

    Marvel is taking a chance with Jeph Loeb, but who knows? Maybe he learned from the mistakes made on Heroes. He might take the fan criticism to heart; especially from the comic fans. Nonetheless, Marvel’s intent on bringing its characters onto both TV and movies, and with the obsession of putting them under one universe is an exciting endeavor. It added a lot to the comic books, and it would definitely add to the other mediums as well.

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  • Neil Patrick Harris in Harold & Kumar

    Timothy

    Thanks to Jesus, Neil Patrick Harris will get a second chance at life and will be brought back in the third Harold & Kumar film. The man himself recently confirmed that it’s in the screenplay.

    Why does this seem so perfect to me? Neil Patrick Harris’ portrayal of himself in the prior films had a comedic, otherworldly quality. It makes sense in context that Jesus would raise him from the dead. It’ll be fun seeing him reprise his role in the next installment — he’s always been a highlight in the earlier movies.

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  • Syfy Gives Fans Creative Control

    Timothy

    Syfy is launching a production site called B Movie Mogul, which will be used as a platform for viewers of the network to pitch and vote on ideas for an upcoming Syfy film. Viewers will essentially have control of dialogue, character deaths, creatures, and the title of the movie.

    As of right now the three concepts to vote on are; Bermuda Triangle, a 2010 apocalypse story, and a Roswell movie.

    Syfy does produce a few gems, but they’re far and few between. This next film project will definitely be mediocre, but if Syfy is smart, it’ll execute it with a tongue-in-cheek feel. Just have fun with it instead of attempting a serious sci-fi thriller or horror film.

    I hope this doesn’t become a trend for networks — it’s a sign of creative laziness and it’s bound to churn out horrendous movies. So yes, I do hope this project crashes and burns in a spectacular fashion. Sure, it’s good to have outside input, but relying so heavily on that for creative influence is a crutch. It would be another step towards mediocrity.

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  • Tron: Legacy Will Be at Comic-Con

    Timothy

    Disney announced that their film Tron: Legacy will have a panel at Comic-Con with actors Jeff Bridges, Olivia Wilde, Garrett Hedlund, Bruce Boxleitner, and Michael Sheen at hand; along with director Joe Kosinski; with producers Sean Bailey and Steven Lisberger.  Patton Oswalt will moderate the panel. There’s also a rumor going around that the ones who did the music for the movie, Daft Punk, will be in attendance as surprise guests at the panel.

    It will be the third year at Comic-Con for the upcoming movie. Last year at Comic-Con they released a teaser for the film and it was a huge hit with the audience. It’ll evidently be one of the most anticipated panels this year at the con; and the rumor of Daft Punk being there will only add to it.

    [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Heat Vision Blog][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

  • Deadpool News

    Timothy

    Reportedly 20th Century Fox is attempting to get Robert Rodriguez as director for the film adaption of comic book character Deadpool. It’s assumed that Ryan Reynolds will reprise the role of Wade Wilson.

    As with many comic book fans, I was irked by how Wade Wilson was handled in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. What made it worse was the part was perfectly casted, but then they robbed Deadpool of his personality by sewing his mouth shut. It made no sense — Ryan Reynolds fits the part as well as Robert Downey Jr. fits Iron Man.

    I’m skeptical that Fox will release a good Deadpool movie, but so far it looks to be a good start on paper: Ryan Reynolds was very vocal about wanting to reprise the role. And the screenwriters of Zombieland; Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are set to write the script for Deadpool. I’m cautiously optimistic.

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  • The Hobbit Moves Forward Without A Director

    Timothy

    Producer Peter Jackson’s adaption of The Hobbit continues forward despite Guillermo del Toro leaving the director chair. There’s still no replacement at this time and Peter Jackson refuses to assume the director role.

    The production is still moving along; auditions being held, and sets are near completion in New Zealand.

    It’s too bad Guillermo del Toro is unable to direct — though Peter Jackson is determined to find a suitable replacement. Personally, I lean towards Terry Gilliam. He strikes me as a good fit for the project.

    You can view more pictures of the sets built HERE.

  • A Band From San Diego: A City Serene

    Timothy

    Post Hardcore / Screamo band from San Diego, A City Serene have been busy recording a new album and going on tour. They return home to headline at SOMA this Saturday on June 19, 2010.

    A City Serene formed in 2008 and performed their first gig at a little bar. They gave it their all despite the small crowd; their first night and they were already displaying a strong stage presence. It really showed their work ethic and their passion for music. And it wasn’t before long they were headlining local shows and drawing crowds. Despite their popularity rising, they remain humble, talking with their fans and wanting to connect.

    Recently they released a new song entitled Diamond Skies on their MySpace at:

    http://www.myspace.com/acityserene

    In addition, they released a fun cover of 3OH!3’s My First Kiss which can be found here along with other songs for download and for listening:

    http://www.purevolume.com/acityserene

    If you like what you hear, you can purchase their EP, The Art of Deceiving Perception, here:

    http://acityserene.bigcartel.com/

    Or buy their EP via iTunes at:

    http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-art-deceiving-perception/id334185792

    T-shirts can be bought at:

    http://acityserene.themerchtent.com/

    To stay informed and for tour dates, visit their MySpace HERE. I highly encourage everyone to attend one of their shows and experience A City Serene‘s performance for themselves.

    Tell your friends.