Marvel Entertainment, Inc. announced that at a special meeting held this morning, Marvel stockholders approved the adoption of the Agreement and Plan of Merger entered into by Marvel and The Walt Disney Company, which provides for a merger in which Marvel will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Disney.
Marvel anticipates that the merger, which, based on the closing price of Disney's common stock on December 30, 2009, has an estimated value of approximately $4.3 billion, will be completed today after the close of the market.
The completion of the merger is subject to satisfaction of remaining conditions disclosed in the definitive proxy statement/prospectus filed by Disney with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424 on December 2, 2009.
Not sure if this is good or bad. But if this was done 10 years a go I know we would not see great movies such as The Incredibles. Fingers crossed.
Swedish illustrator Jonas Bergstrand has a style firmly set in the golden age of illustration, and he does it so well. Gorgeous backgrounds, great character design and some pretty innovative stuff in there too.
Fascinating tattoo paintings by Shawn Barber. Quite a large growing collection, I particularly like the equipment/tattoo gun studies. I love this as much as I'm becoming to love the art of Tattooing.
How to Train Your Dragon is the story of Hiccup, heir of Viking chiefdom and the most lovable, unlikely hero, and his quest to hunt down the fiercest dragon, bring it into submission, and pass his initiation.
How to Train Your Dragon is co-directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, who together both directed Lilo & Stitch before eventually hoping over to DreamWorks. Voices in the film include Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Craig Ferguson, Kristen Wiig, America Ferrera. Paramount is bringing How to Train Your Dragon to both regular and 3D theaters starting on March 26th next year.
More talk from the Ghostbusters 3 camp to put a production timeline in perspective.
Within the last year, there's been much speculation, fake fan videos that have been erroneously identified as pre-production FX and recent talk from Sigourney Weaver to keep us guessing as to where the story will take the characters next.
Harold Ramis recently spoke to Heeb and had this to say about the project:
Something's going to happen. Dan [Aykroyd] did write a spec GB3 screenplay a few years ago, but no one was motivated to pursue it. Now, 25 years after the original, there seems to be some willingness to proceed and apparently a substantial public appetite for a sequel. We'll introduce some new young Ghostbusters, and all the old guys will be in it, too. Think Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future...GB3 is progressing with plans to shoot next summer and release in 2011.
This summer might be an exciting time to live in New York City, home of the Ghostbusters, especially if the production decides to set up shop there. Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky are penning the third film.
His pictures cost upwards of £900, there are 680 people on a waiting list to buy them, and his second exhibition sold out in 14 minutes. Patrick Barkham meets the gifted artist Kieron Williamson, aged seven. Not bad I say but I would not pay that much just because he is seven.
1. Avatar - $75 million. I have yet to see this but planning on it very soon.
2. Sherlock Holmes - $65.4 million. Great movie.Guy is back
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel - $50.2 million. Shamed to say I will see tis very soon.
4. It's Complicated - $22.1 million. This film was pretty appealing to a certain percentage of the middle-aged female crowd. It's reassuring to see relationships so much more complicated than your boring, loveless one.
5. Up in the Air - $11.8 million. Because the only truly merry Christmas is a Clooney Christmas.
The opening moments of any film are truly pivotal in fully capturing the audience's attention amidst the opening of snacks, late audience arrivals and post-trailers chatter. Some movies just throw you right into the story, while others like to ease you in with a not-so-distracting credit sequence that runs throughout the opening scenes. But then, there are some movies which have meticulously crafted opening sequences to not only make sure you know damn well the people who worked so hard to bring it to you, but also to introduce you to the world where you'll spend the next few hours. And herein lies The Art of the Title Sequence.
A couple of guys have taken it upon themselves to bring more attention to the "Art of the Title Sequence" at their blog of the same name. There they take the time daily to post various opening credit sequences that usually go above and beyond simple title cards. In addition to commentary and sometimes interviews with the credit sequence creators, every now and then they'll even focus on end credit sequences as well. While complex and intricate title sequences are something that have become easier and more common due to the advent of various computer technologies for animation, editing and the like, there are title sequences from all different decades highlighted on the site.
One of the favorites is the opening credits from Steven Spielberg's 2002 film Catch Me If You Can. Accompanied by a spectacular score from the masterful John Williams, the credit text interacts with the minimally styled animated characters and provides the environments and obstacles that the characters we are about to meet will take on throughout the rest of the film. It essentially is a short and sweet animated silent film version of the entire movie, and is enjoyed slightly more upon a second viewing. Watch it below:
A more recent favorite comes from Peter Berg's 2007 Saudi Arabia-set action film The Kingdom, where the opening sequence acts as both credits and an abridged animated lecture that combines graphs, timelines, maps and archival footage to inform people of the delicate situation in the Middle East. The most powerful and striking use of this effect comes when a 3-D bar graph in the shapes of the countries identified as top oil consumers swivels around to show the United States' towering #1 bar split into the Twin Towers as a plane flies into one of them. The imagery is powerful and sudden, and sets the tone for the rest of the film.
In addition to featuring incredible spotlights on other personal favorite title sequences like Coraline, Juno, Kung Fu Panda, Lord of War and Thank You for Smoking as well as fantastic closing credits sequences for Jon Favreau's Iron Man as well as Pixar's The Incredibles and WALL-E, they also have special features like their currently running series on long single take shots that run through title sequences as well as a focus on films that you may never have heard of before. Personally I'm waiting to see a little focus on what I think to be 2009's best opening title sequence: Watchmen.
Viewed from the upper levels, the people walking on the ad look disgustingly flea-like, and the scene elicits constant reactions that sound something like 'yikes!' The team behind this effective promo included Chief Creative Officer Andy Greenaway, Executive Creative Director Juhi Kalia and Art Directors Aryanto Salim and Joel Clement. - Tuija Seipell
Playboy billboard promoting its online services in Germany - Really? Wow this is a cool idea. How the hell do they get away with this? How un-cool is the USA in advertising.
This is a Christmas tree in China made out of a 1,000 Heineken bottles. Not sure what I think. Good idea or just same old shit we expect from Heineken. And go....
BoYah! Suck that balloon boy. We watched. We waited. We hoped you were safe. Then you were not in the dam balloon. little shit. We want to see you fly.
SO you are in a hurry or maybe have what you need after spending an hour or two in the store with your two kids who are now way past bored and you are ready to get the hell out of Dodge. What do you do next? Simple you head to check out. The store may have 25 check out lanes but guess what? Only three are open and they are at the other end of the store on the opposed side from the exit from where you parked in the parking lot. Fine. I'll suck that up. You get in line, aisle #3. Not that bad. The person in front has almost finished checking out. You are feeling good as your kids are starting to get bored and asking for what ever is on the end aisle.Candy, shoe polish, fucking Sponge Bob band aids. You say "No put that stuff back" as you look for your wallet. Then what happens? The person in front pulls out there fucking check book. Really? People still have check books? Use a debit card you bitches. What you like making every one wait? You like to balance your check book? You feel special signing your name like you are special? Yet you are special. Very fucking special you retarded SOB. GO HOME and stay there in the 90's. How hard is it to get a debit card. Arh! So is my life.
Tiz that time of year where I love me some Calvin & Hobbes. There are many many different versions of the snowman caper. Here are just a few that make my day no matter what the day may be. Enjoy.
Robin " Fricking" Hood. I have a full on boner over this trailer. I love Gladiator. "My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next". Please let Robin Hood be good. We have yet to hear the full accent of Robin Hood. Has long as we don't here a bad accent by Robin Hood. See Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102798/. What could go wrong.
Here it is. The remake of the the Karate Kid. I was for sure hating all over this. But it looks kinda cute? Sure it's the same old story. A handyman/martial arts master agrees to teach a bullied boy karate and shows him that there is more to the martial art than fighting. WIll Smith is pimping out his kid for this so called epic remake. Who knows. Maybe it will be ok. But for now I say no thanks maybe on HBO? nah.
