Alien Prequel

Yep, that's right, there's an Alien prequel in the works. First the good news. Both Ridley Scott and H.R. Giger are going to be involved. Now the bad news... OK, none yet, but I'm sure there will be. Making a moving is expensive and complicated, and even with Scott directing, other forces could still derail his efforts.

The Hobbit

Yay! After 15 years of legal wrangling over rights, The Hobbit film will finally begin shooting next year. More than anything else, it is a damning example of how copyright impedes creativity. It also shows how petty the film business really is.

The Hobbit is going to be shot in 3D but thankfully, Jackson will be directing so there won't be too many gimmicky 3D scenes. I hope. Especially since I won't be seeing it in 3D.

3D TV

Manufacturers are all over this 3D TV thing like a bad smell. Now Toshiba has announced a model that doesn't requires glasses. Wow! Sorry, that's as excited as I can get. While I suppose it's interesting from a technical standpoint, I have a hard time taking 3D seriously. My problem is that 3D always seemed to be a gimmick and I just can't get past that.

The film industry uses 3D as way to increase profits with the premium pricing for 3D screenings. Which does nothing to change my opinion that 3D is just a gimmick.

Watchmen

I saw Watchmen today and thoroughly enjoyed it. I must admit that I was apprehensive before seeing the film. Watchmen is one of the most highly regarded comic books ever produced and Hollywood's ability to mess up comic adaptations should never be under estimated. The Watchmen film is a faithful, almost panel by panel, adaption of the comic, which is the same technique director Zack Snyder used for 300.

However, cramming that much detail into a film is difficult. The Watchmen film is longer than usual at 162 minutes but it is still extremely dense with plot and character development, and could easily be made longer. I can't remember another action movie that has so much dialog. There is so much detail crammed into almost every frame that, when the film comes out on DVD, people will be examining it frame by frame, looking for easter eggs.

There are no major stars in the film although there are several familiar Canadian faces. The acting was average but believable. For a change the effects supported the story, rather than showcasing how clever the digital effects wizards have become. That is as it should be. The film will not be an Oscar contender, but it will almost certainly be a cult classic in few years.