Looking At The Standout Moments Of The 2010 Academy Awards
Category: Movies>MTV Movie Blog

Last night’s 82nd Annual Academy Awards saw a host of changes made to the format that’s dominated for the past bunch of years. From the 10 nominees in the newly expanded Best Picture category to the paring down of musical numbers and use of two co-hosts, there was a decidedly different vibe to the proceedings.

As with any year, there were high points and there were low points. The difference last night is that everyone was watching so much more closely. Why? Well there’s a commonly held belief that the changes this year came as part of the Academy’s effort to broaden the appeal of the 82-year-old awards show. A lot of moviegoers were left feeling alienated when “The Dark Knight” didn’t land a Best Picture nomination in 2008, only the latest of many such sleights that more pop-oriented fare has suffered through the years.

So since everyone was watching so closely anyway, I decided to shine MTV’s spotlight on the best and worst that the 82nd Annual Academy Awards show had to offer. You might not agree with all of these observations. That’s fine. We want to hear from you too. Share your own thoughts in the comments section below.

The Highlights

New Format
Overall, I think the new format worked very well. My eyes still sort of glazed over during the single award category-oriented musical number we got — the interpretive dance thing — but the longer speeches and clips that came with the extra time really helped keep things interesting. The Best Actor/Actress presentations were especially enjoyable.

Neil Patrick Harris
“The Smurfs” star Neil Patrick Harris opened the evening with a Broadway-style musical number, and it was glorious. Best moment of the night? Possibly. Strong statement that NPH should have been the one to host? DEFINITELY.

Elinor Burkett’s “Kanye Moment”
Look, based on the story behind the story, it seems as though Elinor Burkett might have been in the wrong when she stormed the stage during “Music by Prudence” director Roger Ross William’s acceptance speech. But crowds love sensational stuff like this. And if the net result is bringing added exposure to a documentary short about a school in Zimbabwe for disable children, then I don’t really see how anyone can complain. In that spirit, why don’t you go learn some more about the Best Documentary Short winner.

Sandra Bullock’s Acceptance Speech
Best Actress winner Sandra Bullock is getting a lot of accolades for saying nice things during her speech. Me, I just appreciate her honesty. Bullock opened with: “Did I really earn this or did I just wear y’all down?” A fitting kickoff for a woman who also won two Razzie awards in the same weekend she picked up her Best Actress Oscar.

The Lowlights

Co-Hosts Alec Baldwin And Steve Martin
Separately, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin are brilliant entertainers. Even together, there’s a potent duo waiting to be set free. It didn’t gel for them last night. I think a lot of it had to do with the writing, but Baldwin and Martin were not the best hosts the Academy Awards have seen. In this case, more did not equal better.

Horror Montage
When did we start calling “Twilight” a horror movie? And “Beetlejuice”? For that matter, why did we celebrate horror last night when 2009 was a landmark year in the evolution of science fiction?

In Memoriam Fail
MTV contributor Josh Wigler pointed out five names that were missed last night during the obligatory memorial montage last night. There were others too. Where, for instance, was Ricardo Montalban? The dude played freakin’ Khan in “Star Trek II”!!! Bad form, Academy… for shame.

“No ‘Thank You’ Speech” Plan
A few weeks before last night’s awards ceremony, the word emerged that the Academy had asked all nominees to prepare to acceptance speeches. One to be delivered on stage, focusing on what receiving an Oscar means to them. And one to be delivered backstage, to a special “thank you cam.” As we saw last night, that did not happen. And I’ve gotta say… the best speeches were the ones that weren’t excessive thank yous. Sorry Jeff Bridges; you deserve that Best Actor award, but your speech left a lot to be desired.

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Should Someone Make John Hughes’ Final Movie ‘Grisbys Go Broke’?
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Hollywood really loves John Hughes. We saw this in the way it paid a special tribute to the late filmmaker at last night’s Oscars ceremony. But how long before someone in Tinsel Town comes along and harms Hughes’ legacy by producing one the man’s final screenplays? The Hollywood Reporter raises the question in a story about this unproduced work, a riches-to-rags story titled “Grisbys Go Broke,” pointing out that at least Paramount has no interest in buying the script.

Paramount was the studio behind many of Hughes’ movies, including “Pretty in Pink,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” and, umm, “Drillbit Taylor.” He didn’t direct that last one, but the Owen Wilson comedy was originally written by Hughes under the pseudonym Edmond Dantes. And it remains his final movie credit, unless the somewhat timely “Grisbys” is actually ever made.

Last week there was a rumor going around the web that Paramount was going to do the movie with Roth Films (”Alice in Wonderland”) producing. But there’s no truth in it, according to the studio.

Could another studio take it on? Universal, which made Hughes’ “Sixteen Candles,” “The Breakfast Club,” “Uncle Buck” and “Weird Science,” as well as the Hughes-scripted “Beethoven”? Or how about Warner Bros., which is also moving ahead on another installment of the “Vacation” franchise that Hughes originated?

Like many deceased artists, Hughes left behind a lot of unfinished and unproduced work that will in all likelihood see light at some point. Some are in the possession of the filmmaker’s family. Others, like “Grisbys” have been at studios or production companies for years. And as is always the case in these posthumous release situations, there is the debate on whether or not it’s okay for such exploitation to occur.

However, Hughes’ legacy is different from, say, a solo music artist or novelist, because he regularly sold his scripts to studios and had little other involvement in them, such as the case with latter-career works “Maid in Manhattan” and “Drillbit.” And anyway, it’s only a matter of time before we get remakes of Hughes’ early classics … in 3-D, no doubt.

What do you think? Should someone make “Grisby’s Go Broke” and/or any of John Hughes’ other unproduced films?

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Here Are Your 2010 Academy Awards Winners!
Category: Movies>MTV Movie Blog

FROM MTV.COM: The 82nd annual Academy Awards are over and the winners have been counted. “Avatar” and “The Hurt Locker” squared off in a nomination-leading nine categories, and Kathryn Bigelow’s Iraq war story emerged the victor. Her David beat James Cameron’s sci-fi Goliath with six wins to the three for “Avatar.” Sandra Bullock and Jeff Bridges won for Best Actress and Best Actor, respectively, while Mo’Nique and Christoph Waltz took home statues for supporting actress and actor, all as expected.

Here is a full list of the winners:

Best Picture
“The Hurt Locker”

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”

Continue reading 2010 Oscar Winners List

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CAPRICA: Episode 1.06 Recap: ‘Know Thy Enemy’
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Title: “Know Thy Enemy”

Director: Michael Nankin

Story: Two new players join the fray in the latest episode of “Caprica.” The more narrowed focus seen last week remains, with “Know Thy Enemy” primarily focused on two key developing stories. One is Daniel Graystone’s feud with newcomer Tomas Vergis (John Pyper-Ferguson), owner of Graystone competitor, the Vergis Corporation, who is intent on taking vengeance for the murder of two of his people. We also return to the one God worshipping STO terror group. Sister Clarice Willow hatches a plan to recover Zoe’s programming data from the Graystone household while Lacy meets with the mysterious Barnabus (James Marsters) in her continuing effort to transport the ZoeCylon to Geminon, at her dead friend’s request. Meanwhile, Joseph Adama continues his search for the boy who brought word of Tamara in New Cap City while Daniel’s assistant Phil Omon continues his weird courtship with the Cylon.

Captains Of Industry: The episode opens with our very first (and brief) glimpse of another of the Twelve Colonies as a flashback shows us Tomas walking in on the grisly scene that followed the robbery of his Cylon-powering MCP. This sets the stage for what turns out to be an elaborate revenge plot. The Graystone competitor is a Tauron to his core, and he’s intent on living by his people’s philosophy of “blood for blood.” It looks as though we’ll be seeing a lot more of this character, though what his plans are beyond “destroying” Daniel’s dreams remains to be seen. Zoe’s avatar will presumably be involved in some way… though of course not until Daniel realizes that his daughter still exists within the machine he’s now so intent on replicating.

Before There Were Resurrection Ships…: Sister Clarice and her husbands hatch a plot to steal Zoe’s programming from the Graystone household using a new piece of technology capable of wirelessly capturing and transmitting large amounts of data. The description of this device in the episode clearly makes it sound like an early take on what will one day lead to Cylon resurrection technology.

Love Blooms In The Strangest Of Places: Lonely lab assistant Phil Omon has had a weird fascination with the ZoeCylon since he first laid eyes on it. Sure, it is powered by the soul(?) of a dead girl, but he doesn’t actually know that. Zoe, taking pity on the love-seeking Omon, arranges a V-World meeting via his online personal ad. There she reveals himself, sort of, claiming that her resemblance to Zoe is really just a ruse to scare away “perverts.” Given how important the ZoeCylon is becoming to Phil, it seems clear that his path will cross with Lacy’s sometime soon.

The One True God: Lacy continues with her mission to transport the ZoeCylon to Geminon. She finally lands a meeting with Barnabus (James Marsters), some sort of highly placed STO enforcer who brings himself closer to the one God by inflicting pain upon himself. Lacy hits a dead end there, for now. Barnabus won’t help her, but he does want to know what this package she’s so intent on transporting is.

To Your Places: “Know Thy Enemy” pushes aside most of the subtext for some straight-up exposition, a forgivable offense in light of the new character arrivals. Moore and Eick love their commentary of course, but we need to know who these players are before we see them factor into the larger equation. It looks like we’ll be seeing more of Lacy and Barnabus next week, as well as Joseph’s — largely absent from “Know Thy Enemy” — narrowing search for his dead daughter’s avatar.

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‘Precious’ Leads The 2010 Independent Spirit Awards Winners
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The 2010 Independent Spirit Awards ceremony unfolded last night in Los Angeles. With the Academy Awards closer to “hours” than “days” away, the stars came out while fans of film watched for any hint of what is to come on Sunday night during what is the biggest awards show of the season. After the MTV Movie Awards, of course.

For all of the back and forth opinions between “Avatar” and indie darling “The Hurt Locker” for the Oscars’ top categories, last night’s Indie Spirits were dominated by something completely different: Lee Daniels’ Sundance hit, “Precious.” Head over to MTV.com for Larry Carroll’s by-the-numbers breakdown of the night or just hit the jump right here for the full list of winners.

Best Feature
“Precious”

Best Director
Lee Daniels for “Precious”

Best Screenplay
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber for “(500) Days of Summer”

Best First Feature
“Crazy Heart”

Best First Screenplay
Geoffrey Fletcher for “Precious”

Best Female Lead
Gabourey Sidibe for “Precious”

Best Male Lead
Jeff Bridges for “Crazy Heart”

Best Supporting Female
Mo’Nique for “Precious”

Best Supporting Male
Woody Harrelson for “The Messenger”

Best Cinematography
Roger Deakins for “A Serious Man”

Best Documentary
“Anvil! The Story of Anvil”

Best Foreign Film
“An Education”

Acura Someone to Watch Award
Kyle Patrick Alvarez for “Easier With Practice”

Truer Than Fiction Award
Bill Ross and Turner Ross for “45365″

Piaget Producers Award
Karen Chien for “The Exploding Girl” and “Santa Mesa”

Robert Altman Award
“A Serious Man”

John Cassavetes Award
“Humpday”

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‘Paranormal Activity’ Star Micah Sloat Promises A Sequel The Stays True ‘To The Spirit Of’ The Original
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One of the more interesting developing projects out there right now is “Paranormal Activity 2,” sequel to the 2009 smash hit from newcomer director Oren Peli. Since Peli is off now working on his own follow-up — called “Area 51” (for now) — Paramount has had to turn to other possible candidates to direct. “Saw VI” director Kevin Greutert was at one point set to helm, but he was later shuffled back to Lionsgate’s long-running franchise. The most recent rumblings suggested another crop of possibilities, including veteran filmmaker Brian De Palma, but the studio isn’t ready to confirm anything just yet.

MTV’s Josh Horowitz caught up with “Paranormal Activity” star Micah Sloat on the red carpet at last night’s 2010 Independent Spirit Awards ceremony, and he asked the actor to set the record straight.

“I know a lot, I can’t tell you–” he said, cracking into a smile before adding, “Well, just a little.”

“All I can tell you is I’m very excited for the project, it’s really cool, it’s gonna be really interesting and it’s not gonna suck, which most horror sequels… would. This is gonna be good,” he said. Of course, he would say such a thing, being involved with the sequel and all, but there’s no need to be cynical… yet. For now, Sloat shared the most encouraging bit of info he was able to: the sequel will follow in the footsteps of its record-breaking predecessor.

“Well we have money now, but we’re staying true to the heart of the movie, to the spirit of it, to the vision,” he explained. “That’s all I can say.”

What’s significant here is that Sloat is talking about the sequel at all. As anyone who’s seen the first movie knows, **SPOILER ALERT** his character is killed off at the end of the film. **END SPOILER** To hear Sloat talking about the sequel now, as though he’s involved, points to one of two possibilities: the sequel will in fact be a prequel or Sloat is in some way possessed or under the spell of the demonic force that possesses his haunted girlfriend Katie.

What do you think? How will Sloat be involved with the sequel?

Where do you want to see the “Paranormal Activity” sequel go?

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Robert De Niro And Bradley Cooper Are Wandering In ‘The Dark Fields’
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Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper are starring alongside each other in an upcoming movie. No, it’s not “The Hangover 2,” though that would certainly be interesting to see — instead, the two actors are joining forces on a completely different kind of head-spinning story.

Variety reports that De Niro has signed on to star in “The Dark Fields,” an upcoming thriller from Relativity Media starring Cooper and directed by “The Illusionist” filmmaker Neil Burger.

Based on a novel by Alan Glynn and a script from Leslie Dixon, “The Dark Fields” focuses on a down-and-out writer played by Cooper who starts taking an unusual designer drug that gives him newfound intelligence and success. De Niro’s character is “a brilliant financial mogul” who pursues the writer, presumably based upon his discovery of the drug.

Last week, Coming Soon reported on “an unconfirmed tip” that Elizabeth Banks could star in the movie as the female lead. There is currently no official word on her casting.

I’m not going to sit here and suggest that De Niro hasn’t made a single clunker in his entire career, but his track record is pretty darn good regardless. The fact that he’s signed onto “The Dark Fields” is one heck of an endorsement in my book. It’s also a nice step up for Cooper, who is clearly rising the ranks in Hollywood from loathsome scoundrel to leading man. With these two talents on board and Banks rumored for a role, here’s hoping that “The Dark Fields” lives up to its potential.

Tell us what you think of the casting news in the comments or on Twitter!

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‘The Last Train From Hiroshima’ Controversy Is ‘Only A Story Because I’m Involved,’ James Cameron Says
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Earlier this week, it was reported that book publisher Henry Holt and Company had stopped production on Charles Pellegrino’s “The Last Train From Hiroshima: The Survivors Look Back.” The reason? Some of Pellegrino’s sources were called into question, and subsequently the author himself. This is all significant because James Cameron had previously optioned the book for… something.

MTV’s Larry Carroll ran into Cameron last night on the red carpet at the “Global Green” pre-Oscars party. And while the focus of the evening was on preserving the environment, we managed to get a question in about “Hiroshima.” As you might expect, Cameron pretty much hit the buzz around Pellegrino and his book’s authenticity right on the nose.

It’s only a story because I’m involved. If I wasn’t involved it wouldn’t be a story. Hopefully that story will go away after the Oscars,” he said. I would argue that the questioning of a non-fiction author’s credibility is news no matter what, though Cameron is certainly correct in pointing out that his involvement contributed to the flare-up. Still, the filmmaker feels bad for his longtime collaborator.

“It’s unfortunate for [Pellegrino], who is a friend of mine, that he got duped by a faulty source. It doesn’t invalidate the other 99.9 percent of his book that’s based on years of careful interviews with survivors of the two bombings,” he said. Nor has the controversy impacted Cameron’s desire to cover the topic of the Japan bombings in film.

“It’s a subject that I’ve wanted to do a film about, that I’ve been wrestling with how to do it, over the years, and I don’t have an answer yet,” he explained. “[Pellegrino's] book is one of presumably many sources that I’ll use for information to be as historically accurate as possible.”

Cameron’s follow-up comments are interesting. “Obviously on ‘Titanic,’ we were as historically accurate as we could be, not only on the movie but on the subsequent documentary films, on the Bismarck film I did. I’m really into archaeology, history, and the accuracy with which that’s presented is critical.”

Comparing “Titanic” with this gestating Hiroshima idea suggests that Cameron might have more of a fictional or dramatized treatment in mind than had previously been speculated. He does make a point of including the follow-up documentaries — “Expedition: Bismarck” and “Ghosts of the Abyss” — as well, so I wouldn’t read too deeply into those words. Still, I wouldn’t complain if Cameron chose to follow “Avatar” with a dramatized World War II story, along the lines of Clint Eastwood’s “Letters from Iwo Jima” and “Flags of Our Fathers.”

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A Shiny, New ‘Iron Man 2′ Trailer Is Coming This Sunday, Post-Oscars
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FROM SPLASH PAGE: A new “Iron Man 2” trailer will air Sunday night on ABC after the Academy Awards. The trailer will be introduced by Tony Stark himself, Robert Downey Jr., during a special episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

The episode will air at 12:05 AM EST that night, and the trailer debut will be followed by musician Keith Urban performing from his new album. Until then, you can check out the previous “Iron Man 2″ trailer below:

Keep it locked to Splash Page for analysis of the new “Iron Man 2″ trailer.

Continue reading New ‘Iron Man 2′ Trailer To Debut After The Oscars

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‘Tron Legacy’ Image Arrives, Offers A Taste Of Reality!
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Until now, just about everything we’ve seen of “Tron Legacy” has been set in the lush computer world where most of the story unfolds. Well this week, Disney is counting down to the theatrical release of the debut trailer — which will appear in front of “Alice in Wonderland” starting Friday — with a new picture each day from the movie. And today’s new one is set in the real world! We even sort of see a person!

The story follows Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) as he investigates the disappearance of his father Kevin (Jeff Bridges). The investigation leads him to Flynn’s Arcade, the sign for which we see here. I suspect that shortly after this, Sam learns the truth: that his father has spent the last two-plus decades living in a computer world. Tough times. Click the image below to check out our “Tron Legacy” image gallery.

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‘The Hurt Locker’ And ‘Inglourious Basterds’ Spoofed By Jersey Shore Folk
Category: Movies>MTV Movie Blog

You all know “Jersey Shore,” right? You’d better, or I’ll send the MTV stormtroopers after you. Oh yes– we have stormtroopers. But now I’ve said too much.

Anyway… “Jersey Shore” is a rather popular MTV reality series about a group of eight New Jersey kids who share a summer house together in the titular location. We get to watch as they work and they play, and the shenanigans that unfold through it all. The first season ended in late-January and the second will air over the coming summer, with the crew moving from New Jersey to a new, unannounced location.

Even though the first season is over, Snooki, The Situation and all of the rest are keeping busy. In preparation for the Oscars on Sunday they’ve planned a series of Best Picture spoofs, which will run all this week on George Lopez’s late-night TBS series, “Lopez Tonight.” The first two aired last night — for “The Hurt Locker” and “Inglourious Basterds” — and we’ve got both of them here for you to check out.

First up is “Inglourious,” which features Vinny G. trading words with Christoph Waltz-as-Hans Landa in a send-up of the movie’s fabulous opening scene…

Hit the jump for the “Hurt Locker” spoof, which features Ronnie Magro, Paul “DJ Pauly D” Delevcchio, and Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino.

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James Cameron Hiroshima Project Endangered Due To Authenticity Concerns Over Source Material
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Back at the beginning of the year, when “Avatar” was still scaling the mountain of box office records set by “Titanic” in the ’90s, news emerged that director James Cameron had optioned a book for a possible follow-up project. Charles Pellegrino’s “The Last Train From Hiroshima: The Survivors Look Back” is an oral history of the atomic bombing of Japan during World War II, told through interviews with “Japanese A-bomb survivors, American aviators, and classified documents of government officials” (according to the publisher’s original description).

That’s what it was supposed to be anyway. The latest twist is that publisher Henry Holt and Company will produce no further copies of the book nor will they ship any more completed editions, Yahoo! News reports. The decision was made in spite of strong reviews and Cameron’s film option because the reliability of Pellegrino’s sources was thrown into question after the author couldn’t address a number of queries, including the existence of two men mentioned in the book.

“It is with deep regret that Henry Holt and Company announces that we will not print, correct or ship copies of Charles Pellegrino’s `The Last Train from Hiroshima,’” the publisher said in an official statement.

The doubts first grew out of Pellegrino’s recent acknowledgment that one of his interview subject’s had falsely claimed to be aboard one of the planes escorting the Enola Gay, the B-92 bomber that dropped the first bomb. The questions then turned to two men — supposed former Hiroshima resident Father Mattias and John MacQuitty, who is claimed to have presided over Mattias’s funeral — who could not be identified as having actually existed.

In a further twist, Pellegrino’s own background has fallen into question. According to the author’s personal website, he received his PhD in 1982 from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. The Associated Press followed up on that following Pellegrino’s failure to address some questions about the book, and the university had no proof he had received that degree.

It’s a blow to Cameron, who has worked with Pellegrino extensively in the past. He served as an adviser on “Avatar.” Cameron wrote the blurb for “Last Train” as well as intros for Pellegrino’s “Ghosts of the Titanic” — Cameron made a documentary, “Ghosts of the Abyss,” with a similar focus — and “The Jesus Family Tomb.” The filmmaker hasn’t yet issued a statement, but it’s a safe bet that we won’t be seeing any “Last Train” movie now.

What do you make of this whole situation?

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New ‘Nightmare On Elm Street’ Versus the Old – A Side by Side Comparison
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These days, we can’t get enough of the newly-revealed “Nightmare on Elm Street” trailer, giving us our best look yet at Samuel Bayer’s take on Wes Craven’s original formula. With only a few months left before the April 30th unveiling of the film, we took a look back at Craven’s 1984 “Nightmare” and lined up 6 key side-by-side images. Read on for our analysis of what’s better, what’s not, and who might become this movie’s Johnny Depp.

The Jump-Rope Girls
A longtime staple of the “Elm Street” series, there’s something undeniably creepy about three little girls skipping rope and singing a song about a serial killer. Clearly, their existence in the series is an update of “Ring Around the Rosie,” an upbeat kids’ dittie long-rumored to be about the black plague [interestingly enough, Snopes says it’s not]. In both movies, the three girls are dressed in white, and hauntingly indifferent to their own existence as heralds of Freddy’s impending arrival. The new film seems to have done a remarkable job at casting young actresses that look exactly the same – and personally, I’m just glad to know that after all these years, the girls have finally learned to get off the damn lawn. Sing along everybody: 1, 2 Freddy’s coming for you…

The Ol’ Coming-Through-the-Wall Trick
Arguably the most famous image to ever emerge from the “Nightmare” films, Wes Craven’s 1984 original summed up its premise with a great shot that had Freddy Krueger preying upon Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) as she slept; the new film similarly shows Freddy looking down upon the new Nancy, Rooney Mara. The biggest difference is that while the original shot was made by stretching a spandex sheet over a hole in the wall, this one is pure CGI. Considering how the original scene has haunted two generations of horror fans, take a close look and ask yourself: Have special effects really gotten better, or just easier?

Tub-Thumping
In the ’80s, Wes Craven conceived a brilliant spin on Hitchcock’s famous “Psycho” shower scene. Once again, we have a woman alone, being hunted at the one moment when she could expect to be safe. We’ve got to give props to the new film, which seems to have done a better job of framing the shot. At the same time, Nancy’s baby blue bath pillow in the original is so endearingly cheesy – but honestly, if you’re trying to avoid falling asleep, why would you ever put your head on its air-cushioned goodness?

Scratching the Surface
Is there a more annoying, unsettling noise than fingernails on a chalkboard? Craven tapped into our primal repulsion by taking it one step further – giving Freddy long, razor-sharp claws and an affinity for running them along things. In another shot that parallels a Krueger trademark, the new film gives us a peek at the boiler room where he was killed – a recurring theme in his nightmares – and has him running his fingers along some pipes. Get ready for a familiar screech, this time in surround sound glory, when you hit the theater April 30th.

Dancing on the Ceiling
In 1984, one of the spookiest “Elm Street” scenes had a teenage boy helplessly reaching out while he saw his still-sleeping girlfriend cut open by invisible knives, dragged up the wall and across the ceiling – and then was accused of the murder. Loosely based on the original, the new “Nightmare” appears to have changed the character’s name from “Tina” to “Kris,” but Katie Cassidy seems certain to meet the same grisly fate. Like the wall scene described above, the original shot was accomplished with visual trickery that had the actress acting on a floor disguised as a ceiling; in the new “Nightmare,” computer work has been used to float Freddy’s hapless victim. Which do you find more effective?

The Next Depp?
Our last photo isn’t so much an homage, as it is a pic to click. When Craven’s original “Nightmare” hit theaters in 1984, few people were aware of Johnny Depp, a 21-year-old actor cast as ill-fated Glen “Morality Sucks!” Lantz. Nowadays, 24-year-old Kellan Lutz has a better head start as Dean in the new “Nightmare.” Does Kellan have what it takes to still be a Hollywood star a quarter-century from now? If any of Freddy’s new victims has the goods to become the next Johnny, our money is on him.

What do you think of the new movie vs. the old movie? Based on the footage we’ve seen so far, are there any improvements?

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CAPRICA: Episode 1.05 Recap, ‘There Is Another Sky’
Category: Movies>MTV Movie Blog

Title: “There Is Another Sky”

Writer: Michael Angeli

Director: Michael Nankin

Story: With the most critical stage-setting seemingly out of the way, “Caprica” returns this week with something the previous four episodes had been lacking: focus. There’s Daniel Graystone, who is in some hot water with his company after his public promise to demonetize holoband technology leads the board of directors to revolt. That is until he introduces a remarkable new direction to take the business in. Meanwhile, Joseph Adama attempts to reconnect with Willy after learning some troubling things about his son. The senior Adama eventually comes to realize that letting go will be his most difficult, yet most important, first step. And finally, we spend quite a bit of time in V-World with Tamara Adama (still Adams). It’s the most we’ve seen of the Internet-like virtual environment since the pilot episode, and much more is learned about the way things work there. Meanwhile, sideline players in these narratives are left where they belong– on the sidelines. No Lacy, no Sister Clarice, no Agent Duram, minimal Amanda… just the facts, man.

Cylon Rising: I could be wrong about this, but I believe this episode might mark the first time we’ve heard the word “Cylon” on the show since the final seconds of the pilot. Daniel walks in on a board meeting intended to oust him from his position and walks out having laid out a bold, new direction for Graystone Industries: they’re going to build a race of artificial beings. That can’t possibly go wrong, can it?

It’s Only A Game: We might have seen her before, briefly, but Tamara Adams’ return in this episode is essentially the introduction of a new character. Her avatar is lost in V-World, a pure work of artificial intelligence with no living human to anchor her to the real world outside the holoband. Over the course of “There Is Another Sky,” she learns the truth — some truths, at least — of her new existence, and begins to embrace it before the credits roll.

Tauron Power: It’s been made absolutely clear in previous episodes that the Tauron people are viewed as a scorn-worthy minority group in Caprican society. “Dirt-eaters” is a phrase we frequently hear thrown in their direction. “There Is Another Sky” gives us a further glimpse into their cultural heritage, through the lens of a memorial service Joseph arranges — begrudgingly, at first — for his wife and daughter. It’s a baby step towards mending the fractured relationship he has with his son. This is a vital relationship for “BSG” fans, as we all recall the reverence William Adama had for his father. An added bonus: we learn that the melody of the “Caprica” theme song is actually lifted from what appears to be a traditional Tauron dirge.

Virtual Commentary: “Caprica” is rife with subtext that speaks to our own increasingly technology-oriented culture. We saw it last week in Baxter Sarno’s comments about the dangers of holoband technology, and we see his worst fears realized this week in Tamara’s visit to New Cap City. It’s a V-World game set in a lawless re-creation of the titular metropolis, clearly analogous to fear-mongering real-world perspectives on the video game “Grand Theft Auto” and its ilk. There’s no explicit condemnation of video gaming within the context of the show, but there’s a heavy (at times heavy-handed) implication — not an incorrect one — that there’s more to life than a virtual environment can offer.

There’s additional explicit commentary to be found as Daniel defends his demonetization of the holoband to the board of directors. “Holobands are over,” he says. “The hacked sites are eating up more and more of our market share each quarter. And that’s where the kids are going, because they’re free. And the next generation coming up, they’ll expect it all to be free. We can’t own it forever.” Sub out “holoband” for “Internet” and “hacked sites” for “file-sharing” and you’ve got a rough approximation of an ongoing debate in our own society. His solution? Let the holoband continue along as it has and shift focus to a new arena: creating artificial sentience. We all know that real-world debates about such topics are not quite as black & white as they’re presented here, but knowing Moore and Eick, we’ve only just scratched the surface of what they’re trying to bring across in raising these ideas.

“There Is Another Sky”: The title of this week’s episode actually comes from an Emily Dickinson poem. Rather than picking it apart, I’ll give you that poem here and leave you to form your own conclusions. Please, share your comments on that and any other observations of the latest “Caprica” with us on Twitter and in the comments section below.

There is another sky,
Ever serene and fair,
And there is another sunshine,
Though it be darkness there;
Never mind faded forests, Austin,
Never mind silent fields -
Here is a little forest,
Whose leaf is ever green;
Here is a brighter garden,
Where not a frost has been;
In its unfading flowers
I hear the bright bee hum:
Prithee, my brother,
Into my garden come!

-Emily Dickinson

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‘Shutter Island’ Keeps The Lead In The Saturday Box Office Report
Category: Movies>MTV Movie Blog

1. “Shutter Island” ($6.7 million)
2. “Cop Out” ($5.975 million)
3. “The Crazies” ($5.97 million)
4. “Avatar” ($3.1 million)
5. “Valentine’s Day” ($2.9 million)

Friday initiated a relatively quiet start to the weekend as director Martin Scorsese and star Leonardo DiCaprio’s “Shutter Island” continued its first place lead at the box office with $6.7 million. With Friday’s intake, Paramount’s latest thriller now boasts a cumulative total of $59.5 million from domestic ticket sales and an additional $4.6 million at the foreign box office. It’s likely that “Shutter Island” will recoup its production budget of $80 million by the weekend’s conclusion.

Second and third place was a tight battle between the weekend’s new releases, director Kevin Smith’s comedy “Cop Out” and Breck Eisner’s remake of “The Crazies.” The Warner Bros. buddy cop flick ultimately took the silver medal, but just barely outgrossed “The Crazies” by a mere $5,000. The two films could easily switch positions before the weekend is over.

Fourth and fifth place belonged to “Avatar” with $3.1 million and “Valentine’s Day” with $2.9 million, with James Cameron’s science fiction epic currently on pace to cross the $700 million margin by Sunday’s end. “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief” and “The Wolfman” slipped from the top five to sixth and eighth place respectively.

One reason for Friday’s relatively slow business was the massive snowstorm that pummeled the American east coast, discouraging several would be moviegoers from checking out the weekend’s new releases. If weather clears up on Saturday and Sunday, expect a bit of a boost in the box office’s numbers.

Tell us what you think of the box office results in the comments and on Twitter!

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