Skip to Content

WoW Insider is getting ready for BlizzCon!
AOL Tech

film posts

Searching For Sonny: first feature film shot on a DSLR

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 30th 2009 at 10:23AM


What's the world coming too, really? Not only did we see the first official presidential portrait shot with a DSLR this year, but we're also seeing the first feature film to be entirely shot on one as well. Searching For Sonny has grabbed the rights to that latter claim, a little ditty written and directed by one Andrew Disney. As expected, we have Canon's almighty EOS 5D Mark II to thank, though Nikon fanboys will surely love that their lenses were used. Head past the break for a sneak peek, and hit up the read link on April 15th for the full trailer. Indie filmmakers, this is the break you've been waiting for -- don't screw it up.

Continue reading Searching For Sonny: first feature film shot on a DSLR

Discipline - The Hentai Academy: a first of its kind Blu-ray release

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 19th 2009 at 8:31AM


There's anime on Blu-ray, there's adult films on Blu-ray -- in all honesty, this was just bound to happen. Japan's MediaBank has officially announced that Discipline - The Hentai Academy will become the first hentai release on the BD format when it's launched on January 30th. The single-disc package will include the compete six episode "renewal mosaic" version of the series, but the action won't come cheap. It's slated to hit shelves with a lofty ¥8,190 ($90) price tag attached, and while no worldwide release has been mentioned thus far, we've all ideas the import channels will be ready and willing to satisfy the desires of those outside of Japan. [Warning: links are mildly NSFW]

[Via Japanator]

My Bloody Valentine 3D director gets interviewed

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 18th 2009 at 4:54PM


While My Bloody Valentine 3D is hardly the first film to hit the silver screen in 3D, it's one of the few thus far to be marketed first as a 3D experience. Every preview that we've seen goes out of its way to somehow tease the 3D aspect, and it'll be interesting to see how well / horrible it does in theaters. For those even remotely interested in checking it out, you should also head past the break for a two-part interview with the film's director. Patrick Lussier sat down with Hollywood In Hi-Def in order to discuss the specific 3D elements of the film and how he felt these aspects served to draw the audience in deeper and produce a more riveting product. There's even a mention of a 3D Blu-ray release, which we're sure Panasonic is just drooling over. We won't spoil anything for you here -- head on past the jump and mash play (twice) for yourself.

Continue reading My Bloody Valentine 3D director gets interviewed

NIN crowd sources concert film with 400GB of raw HD footage

by Steven Kim, posted Jan 9th 2009 at 10:24PM

NIN Lights in the Sky
When NIN was forced to abandon its film plans for Lights in the Sky, we thought the already-filmed parts were headed for the wrong can, but Trent Reznor has decided to break from the "take my ball and go home" attitude by putting the footage up online. Opening up a public domain wellspring for fans to create some great content, the 400GB of unedited HD data from three shows (Victoria, Portland and Sacramento) is available as a torrent. Don't fire up that download just yet -- Reznor warns that beyond the drive-crushing size of the content, this is totaly unproduced and not really the sort of thing for casual viewers seeking a finished product. For those of you with serious editing rigs and a yen for film production, clear off some space on the RAID and hit the link for torrent details.

VHS distribution grinds to a halt

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 23rd 2008 at 2:10AM


We already gave VHS a proper burial after JVC became the last firm to shut the door on VHS player production, but there was still one nail in the coffin that wasn't quite hammered shut. Today, it all ends. The last notable distributor of VHS films -- Distribution Video Audio out of Palm Harbor, Florida -- has shipped its final truckload of tapes, probably to a small town library or a mom 'n pop shop in a place you'll never hear of. According to co-owner Ryan J. Kugler: "It's dead, this is it, this is the last Christmas, without a doubt." An unceremonious way to exit, sure, but we have a sneaking suspicion that it'll one day be able to say it made it longer than practically every other physical film format that succeeded it. Here's one last tear for the format that was -- now, time to plan a trip to the local flea market.

[Via CNET]

The Dark Knight director hungry for more IMAX

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 13th 2008 at 2:29PM


IMAX has been around for years, while 3D is just now starting to really infiltrate the theater scene. Curiously, it looks as if 3D will have more of the alternate cinema market share than IMAX in no time flat, despite IMAX's tremendous advantage in launch time. Thanks to The Dark Knight, however, IMAX could receive that much-needed breath of life it has been waiting for. Director Christopher Nolan has reportedly stated that he'd like to shoot an entire film for IMAX, even though it would undoubtedly be down-converted for playback on traditional screens. He did admit that the noisiness of the camera could cause issues, but that's nothing a hard-working set pusher couldn't overcome. For those who viewed the latest installment of Batman in theaters, many were most captivated by the expansive IMAX sequences -- in fact, we'd be hard pressed to find someone who wouldn't want an entire film to look like that.

[Via FirstShowing]

The Dark Knight shatters sales record, moves 600,000 Blu-ray Discs on day one

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 11th 2008 at 9:02AM


The numbers are in, and they're big. Just as predicted, Warner Brothers' The Dark Knight was a huge day-one success, with consumers in the US, Canada and UK snapping up three million copies during the first 24 hours (give or take a few) that it was on sale. More germane to our conversation, however, is this 600,000 figure, which tells exactly how many Blu-ray Discs were sold. We already know that around one-sixth of those were moved in the UK, leaving us to determine that North America did some serious shopping. The studio has now projected it to sell one million BDs by Saturday, and curiously enough, current sales have been "especially strong at grocery stores, indicating that the format is broadening beyond early adopters to more mainstream buyers, notably women." Needless to say, this title took down Iron Man's record of moving 250,000 BDs on day one, which just ratchets up the bar for the next big one to take down.

[Thanks, Geoff]

107,000 The Dark Knight Blu-ray Discs sold in UK on day one

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 9th 2008 at 10:08AM


We'll warn you -- these numbers are likely very preliminary and subject to change, but Pocket-lint is reporting (via Official Charts Company data as revealed by the British Video Association) that some 513,000 copies of The Dark Knight were sold on day one in the UK (but isn't the day still ongoing?), 21% of which were Blu-ray. If our abacus is to be trusted, that's just north of 107,000 Blu-ray Discs, and it falls right in line with the apparent BD boom going on across the pond. Just for comparison, it took the white hot Casino Royale a full week in the UK to move just 10,000 BD units. Looks like the flick is off to a solid start -- we'll be keenly watching for US numbers as soon as they become available.

The Dark Knight Blu-ray Disc sneaks onto store shelves early

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 7th 2008 at 3:18PM


Looks like Meijer's is a little antsy to help The Dark Knight Blu-ray become the best selling BD of all time. At one particular store near Urbana, Illinois, the disc has already been spotted -- and we're not just talking about one or two, but a whole gaggle. Can't wait 'til Tuesday? No harm in taking a leisurely stroll to your nearby retailers in hopes of getting lucky. A live shot of the back is after the break.

Continue reading The Dark Knight Blu-ray Disc sneaks onto store shelves early

NIN begrudgingly pulls the plug on 3D film tour

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 5th 2008 at 1:38PM


Man, talk about a buzzkill. Trent Reznor himself has come forward on his official website to announce that there will be no 3D tour film as previously planned. Much like what happened in the heralded U23D, Nine Inch Nails had planned to film a show in 3D with James Cameron's team for a theatrical release as well as eventual release on DVD / Blu-ray, but unfortunately, an unnamed record company pulled the rug out from under the plan at the last moment -- or, that's Trent's side of the story, anyway. On top of that disappointment, we're also told that the current North American tour is likely "the final tour for NIN on this scale." We can hear the collective weeping from here.

[Via Billboard]

Warner gets official with The Dark Knight BD-Live extras

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 4:11PM Breaking News


Not like we haven't heard about these much anticipated features already, but it's always refreshing to get it straight from the horse's mouth. Or Warner Home Video's mouth, in this case. The Dark Knight marks the studio's very first foray into the controversial world of BD-Live, and what's apt to be the best selling BD of the year will pack quite the interactive punch. Owners with Profile 2.0 players will be able to "host their own Live Community Screenings with friends, record and post user-generated commentaries over the film using My WB Commentary, access more The Dark Knight content exclusive to Warner Bros. BD-Live, get sneak peeks and trailers of upcoming Warner Bros. films, create an online library of Blu-ray movies, manage a wish list for upcoming releases and connect to the WB store." As we've already seen in a number of instances, there's also a hint of a BD-Live-assisted interview with director Christopher Nolan "during a special Live Community Screening." For the full spill, give that read link a gentle tap.

The Dark Knight Blu-ray Disc review roundup

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 28th 2008 at 3:01PM


To (mis)quote the infamous Dennis Green: "It was what we thought it'd be." In other words, Warner Brothers' The Dark Knight truly is as mesmerizing and awesome on Blu-ray as it was in theaters. Some very early (and very thorough) reviews have already hit the 'net days before the film's sure-to-be-monumental release, and we've found nothing but praise across the board. Sure, varying critics had varying levels of appreciation for the plot, but when it comes to visual and auditory quality, the Blu-ray transfer delivers. Utterances of "wow," "stunning," and "spectacle" were peppered throughout each and every review, dashing any fears one may have had that the BD would fall short of the hype. For those who really want to dig deep, we've linked thousands of words below. But truthfully, they all come to the same conclusion: The Dark Knight is a must-own Blu-ray Disc.

Read - Big Picture Big Sound
Read - The HD Room
Read - Rope Of Silicon
Read - Home Cinema Choice
Read - HighDefDigest

Bourne Triology hitting Blu-ray Disc in January 2009

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 19th 2008 at 3:54PM


Bourne is already a proven winner in high-def, so it's no shock at all to see that Universal Studios Home Entertainment is finally bringing the acclaimed trilogy to Blu-ray. The only real surprise is the release date; rather than squeezing it in before the holiday break, Universal's hoping to grab a small chunk of your grandma money in late January. The three pack, which will obviously include The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, will not only include hours of bonus materials including deleted scenes, interviews, behind-the-scenes featurettes and commentaries, but it'll also take advantage of BD-Live. The disc will grant access to the studio's BD-Live Center, where fans can then "download even more bonus content, share their favorite scenes with buddies, and engage in a BD-exclusive strategy game that pits users against each other in hand-to-hand combat simulation." Too bad the MSRP is set at $119.98, but you've got until January 27, 2009 to get enough couch change together.

[Via Blu-ray, thanks Anthony]

Sony caves, will offer iTunes film download in Pineapple Express

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 12th 2008 at 6:19AM


It's a momentous occasion, folks. Sony -- the outfit known for boldly sticking to its proprietary guns when perfectly acceptable options are widely available -- is finally showing that it can reach across the aisle to get things done. All politics aside, the January-bound Pineapple Express will include a downloadable version from iTunes. We're told that this is the first time in which a Sony Pictures Home Entertainment release has included such a thing, and yes, a traditional digital copy for PCs / PSPs will also be bundled with the DVD / Blu-ray. Which is just about as cool as killing your arch enemy with a Daewoo Lanos.

[Via HomeMediaMagazine, image courtesy of SPHE]

Universal bringing Serenity to Blu-ray with upgrades and extras

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 7th 2008 at 1:20PM


Well over two years ago, Universal hit a home run with its decision to release Serenity on HD DVD. Now, the studio is finally giving Blu-ray aficionados the privilege of buying the film, and it's even tossing in a few nice upgrades to boot. Given that this title would likely sell on Blu even without any extras, we appreciate the touchups. Those who take the plunge will be treated to a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track, a 2.35:1 1080p video transfer, BD-Live support and a whole slew of bonus features that can't all be listed in this space. Make sure you don't spend all of that holiday cash before December 25th, as you'll need $29.98 (MSRP) in order to snatch this one up on December 30th.




AOL News

Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in:

Joystiq
Download Squad
The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
BloggingStocks
Joystiq Xbox
Autoblog
Big Download
Fanhouse NFL Blog