When The Pentagon Met Iron Man

(Video Comes from Iron Man Fan JFG.)

The relationship between Hollywood and the military is particularly interesting.  Hollywood needs the military to give them clearance to use equipment and the military wants to look good on the big screen. So when Michael Bay wants to use a whole bunch of gear in "Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen" the military says, "Sure Michael, just make sure it all looks shiny on film." Actually the Transformer's sequel used more military equipment than any other movie. This way everyone is happy, the good guys with the big guns torch the robots, and the millions of the people watching the film think "Jeah, the military is a flawless organization that really gets it done. They totally would defend us if the robots attack."

This video I posted above is interesting however, because it features Clark Gregg, who in the Marvel Universe plays S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson, a member of a fictional government organization. For the non-nerds out there, S.H.I.E.L.D runs The Avengers which is a super hero team. Click here for more information on the team and upcoming film. So now we have a fictional character interacting with real private contractors to  convince us that the military has Iron Man technology coming. Interesting, when you think about it, because it shows how the military is using hollywood to craft it's own narrative of it's operations.

If there is one thing that cracks me up about this video, it's that this whole suit doesn't really remind me of Iron Man at all. Rather it reminds me of the suit from "Avatar." You even see it being used in "Avatar" for military personal to perform the tasks described in the video. Does this mean that Stark Technology has made it's way that far into the cinematic future, I doubt it, but it shows that the military certainly likes their comic book movies.

Avatar, Indian Tribes, and The Great Coincidence

It's either the greatest piece of viral marketing or a very convenient coincidence, but today a story about a an evil mining corporation in India, a sacred burial ground, and some vigilant natives is making the rounds on the Internet. I first saw the story last night and didn't make much of it, however astute thislalife reader JoeFrancis G promptly sent me an email saying "THIS IS REAL LIFE AVATAR SHIT," so I had to answer the call.

Apparently a British mining company named Vedanta Resources (in film the RDA Corporation) wanted to mine on an area that is of great religious importance (in the film the Tree of Life) to the Dongria Kondh (Na'Vi). Luckily the tribe had support from a mysterious outsider, the Amnesty International Corporation (aka J. Sully), and were able to thwart the attempts of Vedanta. For the full article check out cnn here.

Man, that's uplifting stuff, so uplifting, I'm going to go see Avatar again when it comes out in theaters this Friday with 9 minutes of extra footage, so convient that these stories came out so close to each other. Is it possible that James Cameron has truly become "The King of the World" and is manipulating the media, the corporations, the native tribes, the cineplexes, the dimensions, the ears, the actors, the oceans, the skies, the minds, the readers, and everyone/everything else to his whim? If so, who cares? As my brother said in more ways than one- AVATAR is the shit!

What Will Be in the AVATAR Re-Release?

Way back In April I shared with you that Avatar will be returning to cinemas. Now that dream is a reality with the official press release today. This comes via /Film

On August 27, return to Pandora and re-experience James Cameron’s History-Making Epic film, with more than Eight Minutes of Never Before Seen Footage- exclusively in Digital 3D and IMAX® 3D. Since - and largely as of result of - AVATAR’s release last December, the number of available digital 3D screens has exploded, and moviegoers who missed experiencing the film in 3D, as well as fans that want to return to Pandora again, will now have that opportunity.

Man, this really gets me jazzed. Unlike some folks, I'm a straight up AVATAR purist, I refuse to watch it on Blu-Ray. 3D IMAX is the only way to see this bad boy, but enough, what can we expect from this new cut. After reading the original script, here are three brief things that we could possibly get on our return

• A glimpse of Earth. The script opens with my main meng Jake Sully on a earth that is very much in line with a mother earth that has been, in the words of Jake Sully, killed. This glimpse hopefully will contain other aspects of life in the future. No spoilers here.
• The "sex scene." Honestly, the only people who care about are the people who paint themselves blue on the third saturday of the month and meet at the northwest corner of the Santa Monica Pier to read fan fiction, whoah, did I just say that, too much information.
• Finally, the battle scene will be extended. The death of Tsu-tey (the "did you mate with this woman line bro") will be elaborated.

See you on Pandora!

Terra Nova Could Be The New Lost (Or Not?)

People are searching for something. Their TV enjoyment expired when 24 clicked down to zero. They closed their eyes to TV when "Lost" blinked and went off the air. Well, I'm here to let you know that "Terra Nova" could be that show that "Lost" fans need in their lives.

However, it could also be incredibly cheesy and lame, how bad, go rent the 2005 film "A Sound of Thunder" and you'll have a good idea. Either way it will be interesting television, I mean, I should know, I've read the script.

You'd think that something from the creative minds of Steven Spielberg, David Fury (Lost, 24), Brannon Braga (24, Flashforward), Jon Cassar (24), and Peter Chernin (Former head of Newscorp) would be a little more original. The simple plot focuses on a family who wins a lottery to go back in time, of course is time in this context means, wayyyyyyyyy back to Dinosaur area. The reason there is a lottery to go back in time is because in the future the Earth is resource depleted hellhole. Of course when the family arrives they learn that everything is not what it seems. If you're thinking Terra Nova is a lot like Pandora, you can join the ranks of everyone who is thinking the same thing.

The series will shoot in Australia and Jason O'Mara is already attached to play the lead. Other casting news is being kept under wraps but there are plenty of great roles including his wife, daughters, teenage son, and some interesting folks including a carbon copy clone of the general from Avatar. In fact the entire show is very in line with the classic Spielberg themes of family, science fiction, and cool as hell special effects.

O'Mara's character "Frank Taylor" is one that will connect with audiences. He's 1/3 loving dad, 1/3 noble hero, and 1/3 total badass who beats up velociraptors with his fists. And that's the thing, if there is going to be dinosaurs all over this thing and if they don't look realistic this show is just going to be another stupid CGI dino-fest, however if they look like raptors in the kitchen, t-rex toilet chomping dinosaurs than this might be new beginning for everyone who was looking for a replacement.

A Peek Into My Mind

Yeah this is pretty damn accurate. Just go through every post about Avatar or Lost I've ever done.

Pandora Is Real! (Insane Video)

Somewhere in this thing lies Pandora, I'll find it, you watch

Avatar Role Playing Community

I know this is supposed to be a satire, but I mean if I didn't have a job, I'd probably be into this.

Avatar, The Vatican, & Sacrifice

James Cameron must be smiling on his spaceship somewhere. After all, once the Vatican starts commenting on your movie, you know you've made it to the super big time. Something tells me the Vatican had nothing to say about "Daybreakers." Yet while the Vatican leveled criticism was mostly just a standard film review, there were some interesting crumbs of information to meditate on. Take this quote from L'Osservatore, the Vatican newspaper.

"[The Film] gets bogged down by a spiritualism linked to the worship of nature. It cleverly winks at all those pseudo-doctrines that turn ecology into the religion of the millennium."

The Vatican can say their vaguely anti-mother earth lines, but I'm not buying them, I believe their real beef with the film is the lack of sacrifice of the characters. You see, the Vatican loves sacrifice. Jesus, after all, died for our sins on the cross. Throughout history and to this day, Catholicism stresses a hard work ethic; work now, don't worry about money on earth, the true reward is in the Kingdom of Heaven that awaits.

When you look at contemporary science fiction narratives, there are themes of self-sacrifice everywhere. The mystical Obi Wan Kenobi dies at the hand of evil only to rise and become all powerful.  Neo, the protagonist of the Matrix films sacrifices himself to the machines to save the world. In the #2 box office movie of 2009: Transformers 2, Optimus Prime bites the dust to save his fellow human homies and Autobots cronies, only to rise again as Super Optimus (buy the toy now kids) to regulate on evil.

Yet Cameron's mind melting masterpiece is curiously devoid of this theme of self sacrifice. No one gives them-self to death to save the people they love. Sigourney Weaver's character doesn't die on purpose (and she didn't like her human self anyway). The numerous Na'vi that die weren't sacrificing themselves, they just had the bad luck to be at the end of a rocket. The only real selfless act is Michele Rodriguez's character, and she was trying to fly out of the battle zone, but didn't make it in time.

The closest thing to becoming one self-sacrifice is Jake Sully leaving his human body behind to become one with God, or, uh, excuse me, Eywa (and let's be honest,  there are plenty of people who would DIE to live on Pandora as a Na'vi). Now if J. Sully had exchanged his life for the life of Na'vi and the tree of souls, I'm sure the Vatican would have been praising the film. And instead of hovering above the Universe in his spaceship made out of money, James Cameron would be kicking it in the Vatican, working on the script with his new co-writer: Pope Benedict.

Is Avatar An Ad For Vonage?

Yes, the blue alien woman is aghast that that the blue alien man got the coloring wrong on his full face Vonage tattoo. Yes, I can't wait for Avatar!

Tom Hardy Will Eat You

Take a look at this man. This is a man who doesn't like it when people take a look at him. How do I know this? I know this because he has blood all over his chest, and rule #43 in the TPG book of life, you don't look at jacked terrifying dudes with blood all over their chest. In case you were wondering rule #42 is always eat the fortune cookie after your read the fortune.

This is man is Tom Hardy and he's the the next big thing in Hollywood. He has been getting rave reviews for his performance in a film called "Bronson" (trailer here). Recently he has been in the news because Arthur Miller has cast him and Charlize Theron in the next "Mad Max" film, wait, did I say Arthur Miller, I meant George Miller. Arthur Miller, wrote "The Crucible" and "Death Of A Salesman" which is light years away from Mad Max, sorry to spite you there Arty.

Tom Hardy seems like the real deal, in fact he very well could be the action movie badass that the world needs right now. And, let me just one thing clear, Sam Worthington's AMC (action movie cred) plummeted once he decided to go all blue on us in "Avatar." Maybe he can save it with "Clash of the Titans", but when I pit the AMC or Hardy vs the AMC or Worthington, even in this picture, Hardy still takes the hardware, the trophy, and the cake.

Worthington holding a Trash Can Lid

How many times can a pick axe hit you in the face?

No matter how many times it happens, things flying off the screen never ever get's old. Watching this "movie" I was just constantly waiting for the next 3D effect to make me scream. It didn't matter if it was seeing a girl run around naked for 5 minutes (which is a long ass time) or if it was watching some eyeball got popped out of some nerd's face, the 3D effect was worth it.

The story in the film is as simple as they come: an evil coal miner stalks hot co-ed in a small mining town. He wears a creepy mask, breathes like Darth Vader and has one headlight on his forehead.

I guess with Obama bringing change to America, the movies are going to start to change as well. My Bloody Valentine is one of the first 3D movies, of 2009, but it is not the last. "Monsters Vs Aliens", "Final Destination 4", and James Cameron's epic "Avatar" are all coming out this year in the format.

The only problem with 3D is that things can pop out at you over and over again, and it takes a long time to get tired of it. Yet, I can not help but hope that in time the 3D effect of the "pop out" will feel dated and the true uses of the medium can put to effect. What those artistic uses are, I'm not sure, but they probably don't involve naked babes and evil psycho miners.