Toy Story 1 and 2 3-D re-release on October 2nd

It was announced last year that on October 2nd, 2009, there would be a 3-D re-release of Toy Story, followed by a re-release of Toy Story 2 in 3-D on February 12, 2010. Well, it was announced today at the ShoWest convention in Las Vegas, that both Toy Story films will now have a special two week run as a double bill in 3-D at selected theatres starting October 2nd. This will be leading up to the much anticipated release of Toy Story 3 3-D on June 18, 2010. A trailer for TS3 will likely be seen come Oct. 2nd. Now February 12th, 2010 will likely be seeing the 3-D re-release of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

-John C.

Best Picture Winner "Slumdog Millionaire" on DVD Today

WInner of eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Slumdog Millionaire comes on DVD today. Here is a link to our original theatrical reviews. Our reviews of the DVD will be coming soon.

-John C.

Yahoo! Has a New UP Clip Titled “Meet Kevin” (UPDATED to announce a new UP featurette)

THIS JUST IN: Another UP featurette has surfaced. It's called, Discovering a Lost World. You can watch it here on FirstShowing.net. So, what do you think?!? Post a comment below, and let us know!

Today has brought a lot of new UP footage for us to enjoy. Now Yahoo! has an exclusive clip entitled Meet Kevin, where we get an extended meeting with the 13 foot tall jungle bird. Make sure to watch it - it's a real treat!

-Erin V.

Watch it here on Yahoo!, or check it out below.

The Art of Monsters vs. Aliens Book Review

The Art of Monsters vs. Aliens

Text By Linda Sunshine

Foreword By Stephen Colbert

Published By Newmarket Press, March 2009

Page count: 192 pages

Size: 11 x 10

Includes: Text and 400 illustrations

http://www.newmarketpress.com/title.asp?id=895

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The Art of Monsters vs Aliens Review By John C.

The Art of Monsters vs Aliens is a beautiful reference book that coincides with the new film from Dreamwork's Animation. It is filled with concept and character art, that gives you a sense of how the different characters came to be. Some of it is really funny, especially a lot of Timothy Lamb’s two page spreads, (particularly the one on pages 46-47), Lamb was also the one that does a lot (if not all) of the cool retro-style character posters.

Having not yet seen the film at the time of writing this, I now cannot wait to finally get to see it. If the book is any indication, (which it is), than this film will be spectacular in 3-D, but still great to look at in 2-D.

While the film is entertainment, this book reminds us that it is also art. A fact that will sadly be forgotten by a lot of people when they go see it this weekend.

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The Art of Monsters vs. Aliens Book Review By Erin V.

As an artist myself, I find these kinds of artwork books fascinating. Well written and easy to read, The Art of Monsters vs. Aliens is a great look into the making of this movie, as well as the art process for films like this in general.

In this book, we can really see what a challenge Monsters vs. Aliens would have been to create, because the characters are so huge. Along with making sure that the proportions are consistent between the characters, they have to keep them beside something that we recognize the approximate height of, such as a building or regular sized human being. Otherwise, we would have no way of telling just how big they actually are. Reading through the book, you will come to realize just how hard it is to make a movie like this - especially in 3-D. While it may look easy on screen, it is cool to get a little bit of perspective into just how much work is actually involved.

This book is filled with 400 amazing illustrations ranging from concept art to storyboards, and is divided into an introduction + five parts for ease of reference. (Character Design, Locations, Special F/X, The Making of Monsters vs. Aliens, and Out of the Picture.) The foreword which opens the book is written by Stephen Colbert, who voices the President of the United States in the movie. Very informative, this is a great tie-in to the movie. It must have been a hard task to assemble all of the interviews and text together, and decide what went in the book and what didn’t. While I have not read the whole book cover to cover as of yet, I can tell you right now that it is definitely worth adding to your collection.

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You can read our interview with author Linda Sunshine here, and find out more about The Art of Monsters vs. Aliens on Newmarket Press's website here.

Quick note: Our reviews of the film will be coming soon...

Thoughts on the “Where the Wild Things Are” Trailer

I didn’t want to post this right away, but by now a lot of people have probably watched the trailer for Spike Jonze’s upcoming book adaptation. Well, here are my thoughts. What we have on our hands is one of the greatest first-trailers for a film in quite some time. The more I watch the trailer, it’s use of music and visuals make me anticipate this film more and more. The film will be powerful, emotional and moving, as well as action-packed and exciting. But more importantly a book that a lot of people, myself included, grew up reading, will finally be adapted for the big screen. I have been anticipating this film for quite some time and could have only hoped it would be this good. I cannot wait for October 16th.

-John C.

New "Up" Clip and Featurette

MSN movies hosts a brand new 2 minute, 19 second clip of Disney•Pixar’s forthcoming film Up. It is an extended scene from the trailer. It is titled Need Any Assistance? and ties into a previously released clip. Disney.com hosts on their home page a brand-new featurette about Pixar’s first three-dimensional film. Up is Pixar's 10th film, it opens in theatres May 29th.

-John C.

Interview with The Art of Monsters vs. Aliens Author Linda Sunshine

When did you find out that you were going to be working on this project? (Monster vs. Aliens) In the summer of 2008.

How much time are you given to put the book together? About 6 months.

Did you have access to all of the concept art for the film? How did you decide what pieces to include in the book? The staff at Dreamworks assembled the first rough cut of concept art, which I think was about 3,000 pieces. Our job was to cut that down to about 400.

Were you given a list of people to speak to, (e.g. directors, animators, storyboard artists, etc.)? Did you have to - or get to - choose who to speak to? Yes, the producer and production designer on the movie put together a list of about a dozen key people for me to interview. After I interviewed those folks, and knew what I wanted to cover, I asked to speak to about 10 others in specialty fields.

What was it like to talk to so many people involved, and how do you put it all together into the book? I begin with extensive interviews with the people who have the most creative control over the movie so that I can establish the main attributes, challenges, and areas of interest that might be included in the book. My job is to focus on the particulars that make this movie different from others that have come before. Once I know what really distinguished the movie, I can put together a rough outline of the main topics the book will cover.

These interviews are the most fun part of the book writing process for me. I love talking with creative people who are passionate about their work; to learn how they became interested in their particular field and how they solved the challenges presented to them. Personally, I am fascinated by people who are passionate and committed to their work, no matter what they may do.

When you first started working on The Art of Monsters vs. Aliens, had you seen any footage from the film, (e.g. animated story reels)? There was about 10 minutes of completed (meaning 3-D) film of 2 major scenes in the movie and I was able to view these on a big screen (with polarized glasses) very early in my research.

Have you seen the finished film yet? Yes. I attended a screening last week in Burbank on a Saturday morning. The theater was packed, about half adults and half kids. The movie played brilliantly. The kids were quiet and attentive, except when they were gasping with surprise because of the 3-D effects or howling with laughter. It could not have had a better reception as far as I could see.

From the beginning when you started going through all of the artwork, did one character really stand out for you? Would this now be your favorite character, and if so, why? There are 5 main monsters and one amazing alien (with thousands of alien clones.) All of them were interesting and engaging but since Susan AKA Ginormica is the central character in the movie (and the only “human” monster), she was definitely my favorite.

How is it to see something that you first met through concept art, up on the big screen? [If you’ve seen the finished film], does meet your expectations? The finished film more than met my expectations. It transcends being a “kids” movie with tons of references to more mature concepts like satirizing monster movies from the 50s, references to movies such as Dr. Strangelove and political asides about a somewhat nutty and incompetent president who can’t tell the difference between the button for a cup of latte and the button for an atomic device.

How do you feel The Art of Monsters vs. Aliens compares to other film related books you have worked on? Every new animated film seems to override anything that came before it. The technology changes so rapidly that each new advancement seems to push the entertainment and enjoyment factor just that much further. Monsters vs. Aliens contains special effects elements that have never been seen before.

I noticed that you’ve written a lot of books on Alice in Wonderland, and The Wizard of OZ. Do you have a favorite children’s book / film? As a child of the 60s I have to ask: Can anything compare to The Wizard of OZ? I saw it in the movie theater when I was 6 years old and I’ve never been so thrilled by anything before or since. That moment when the film transfers from black and white to color was a high point of my childhood. Though the technology advances, it is always those “first time” experiences of our childhood that stay with us forever.

Are there any upcoming projects that you can tell us about? Not yet. Ask me again this summer!

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One Movie, Five Views thanks Linda Sunshine for taking the time to answer our questions, and Harry Burton at Newmarket Press for setting everything up.

To read more about The Art of Monsters vs. Aliens visit the page on Newmarket Press's website here.

Trailer Watch: Where the Wild Things Are

You can now watch the trailer for Spike Jonze’s much anticipated adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s classic childrens book Where the Wild Things Are. The film will open October 16th, 2009. Here is a link to the trailer on Apple Movie Trailers.

-John C.

Interview With Composer John Debney - Hannah Montana The Movie

By E. Corrado

How did you find out you were going to be scoring the new ‘Hannah Montana’ movie? Well, it was a surprise. There was another composer originally on the project, but they had to go work another film. So I got a call from my friends at Disney to see if I would be available. I have a niece who loves Hannah Montana, so it was nice to do this project.

What was it like writing the score for a movie that is very much song/music driven? It was fantastic - they are already really well written songs. There is a song called Butterfly Fly Away written by Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri that I wrote the orchestral arrangement for. Essentially, they wanted me to write the score and arrange the songs.

You have a very diverse list of projects that you’ve worked on. How does working on something like this compare? Well it was not as difficult as some really long projects. I didn't really have a lot of underscore to write. There was actually only about 20 min. of score and then 15-18 minutes of arranging the songs for the movie. It was really not as bad as some of the bigger more comedic scores I have done.

I know that you have done very different movies like The Passion of The Christ for example. How does doing a movie so completely different like this compare? Well they are completely different. Here we’re dealing with Hannah Montana which is kind of the other end of the spectrum. I really had to make her come through in her own way. The character that Miley plays has a really strong fan base. Everyone seems to be pleased though, and I couldn't be more pleased. A lot of family and friends who see this film say it is even a lot better than it needs to be.

What drew you to music, and when did you know that you wanted to be a film composer? Really, I didn’t have any concrete plans until college. I was a music major and I wanted to do something probably in composing, but really gearing towards film and music.

Is it still just as fun a career now? It’s fun and challenging. I think having a career 20 years later is lucky. I am glad that I am still able to work on it consistently and it’s something that I enjoy doing.

Where did you study music? I got my degree at CalArts, which is the California Institute of the Arts. They have a really nice music program there.

What instruments do you play? Well, I have played instruments since like 4 years old. I’ve been in a lot of bands and stuff, and it’s mostly guitar and piano, but I also play cello and sax.

Do you work with a computer a lot while composing? Definitely - all the time. I write at the computer, since I have all of the sounds at my disposal. I create ‘mock-ups’ which are a synthesized version of the orchestra. On the computer, I use a great program called Digital Performer. I also use Pro Tools, and then I have this myriad of synthesizers and keyboards that I use.

Was this particular score recorded Analog, or Digitally? Is this the same as other scores you’ve worked on? Digital. [While some still use it], Analog has kind of fell by the wayside. We usually record at 96 k which is very high quality. Some Record people still record Analog because they love a lot of the sounds of it.

Digital must be easier to edit though... Definitely.

Looking back at this project and other ones you’ve worked on, do you ever feel like you could have done parts of them differently? Absolutely. There's probably something in every project. You’re always trying to give your best, but with a little hindsight there, sometimes you see things differently. Artists in general should always be striving to do it better.

What was your favorite movie to write music for, and why? That’s a hard one... There are a few. Definitely The Passion of The Christ is one of them, and then there are ones like Elf - that movie always makes me smile, - a movie called Hocus Pocus which was kind of the first film that I did a score for, and one called Cutthroat Island which wasn’t very successful, but everyone seems to remember it for it’s music.

What kinds of projects would you want to work on in the future? I would love to do a bit more dramatic films then I’ve been doing. Right now, there seem to be a lot of kid friendly movies, and they are a lot of fun. There was Hotel for Dogs about a few months ago, which started out as a little teeny movie that has now done very well, and now Hannah Montana.

What was your favorite part of doing the music for ‘Hannah Montana’? I think adding elements to the songs was really fun - I don't get to do that as much as I would like. I really love adding to them and doing different arrangements.

Can you tell us about any other upcoming projects that you are working on? There’s a film called A Thousand Words, which is a sort of comedy/drama with Eddie Murphy, a Disney one called Old Dogs with John Travolta and Robin Williams, and a Fox one called They Came From Upstairs which is kind of a Gremlins-type movie with kids and aliens and stuff like that.

Is there anything else you would like to add today? No, you’ve asked some great questions that cover just about everything.

Thank you for taking the time to speak with One Movie, Five Views. Thank you.

One Movie, Five Views thanks John Debney for this interview. For more information, you can visit his website at: www.johndebney.com

First Four ‘Clone Wars’ Episodes Now on DVD+Review of Soundtrack

The first four episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, (‘Ambush’, ‘Rising Malevolence’, ‘Shadow of Malevolence’, and ‘Destroy Malevolence’), are now available on DVD. The disc is called Star Wars: The Clone Wars - A Galaxy Divided. A full season one box set with extras should be available later on. To coincide with the DVD release, here is my review of the soundtrack from the movie below:

Review of Kevin Kiner’s Score for Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

By E. Corrado

Kevin Kiner’s score for Star Wars: The Clone Wars manages to keep the feel of the music by John Williams of the original Star Wars movies, yet all the music still has a new unique stamp on things.

John Williams’ Star Wars Main Theme is woven into this well put together tapestry of adventure, modern rock styles and world music. As Kevin Kiner said in our interview with him back in November, (here), George Lucas had wanted every planet to have it’s own feel, e.g. an African sounding planet, or an Egyptian sounding planet, etc.. His research into the different kinds of world music is evident here.

In track five of the Official Movie Soundtrack, ‘Obi-Wan To The Rescue’, you can here the electric guitar rock sounds, yet they still allow the orchestra to keep in charge of things. Contrast this with track seven, ‘Jabba’s Palace’, and you can clearly hear the musical contrasts in the score. Many of the battle sequences sound very classically action/suspense/sci-fi, all the while fitting in seamlessly with the rest of the score. Track 21, ‘Scaling The Cliff’ reminded me of Back To The Future - just the notes at the beginning of the track...

Kevin Kiner was nominated at the 36th annual Annie Awards for his score for the second episode of the TV show, ‘Star Wars The Clone Wars: Rising Malevolence’. While he did not win this nomination, he was up against very strong competition in Henry Jackman, Hans Zimmer & John Powell’s score for The Secrets of the Furious Five, which took home the award.

I think this score, for both the movie and TV series, has succeeded in keeping with the original Star Wars styles, yet bringing in new flavours of sounds. Whether or not you like this animated version of the Star Wars world, this CD is worth picking up if you see it. The music is very good and entertaining. Also, the tracks all flow together quite nicely, considering that this has a very large amount of the score from the movie. The movie is approximately 1 hour, 38 minutes long, and this CD has a running time of 1 hour, 7 minutes, and 23 seconds. Some of the tracks seem to flow right from one to the next, as though they were together in the movie, but just divided into two seperate tracks here. It’s a nice action score that’s fun and easy to listen to.

The Star Wars: The Clone Wars soundtrack was released August 12th, 2008 in stores, and August 16th, 2008 on iTunes.