SUSO

Light Cycles & Deadly Discs

"Lights, camera, action .... LOTS of lights and LOTS of action!"

Coming to a cinema near you this December 2010, is the sequel to the 1982 Academy Award-nominated film that made throwing pillows round the sitting room the best game ever (Tron Deadly Discs for the uninitiated...).  And as for a Tron light cycle ... Santa you let me down!

At over twenty-eight years, this film marks the longest gap between a live-action film and its theatrical sequel in Hollywood history.  Imagaination, creativity, determination and A LOT of patience in its making...

Jeff Bridges reprises his role as Kevin Flynn, and Bruce Boxleitner his roles as Alan Bradley and Tron, while Garrett Hedlund portrays Flynn's now-adult son, Sam.  In keeping with the latest craze for 3D, Tron Legacy will be presented in Digital 3-D and IMAX 3D.  But pehaps more exciting than cast or technology is the fact that Daft Punk have been heavily tipped to deliver the film's banging sound track.  Until that's confirmed, enjoy the trailer below and feel free to hit the old skool light cycle game here for bragging rights with the gang...

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Categories Film Tags 3d Tron2 Light Cycles Deadly Discs

By Juan on 27/4/10

Death By Retro

"Kong never looked so good..."

We've got the imaginative Director Patrick Jean and the team at One More Production to thank for this highly creative clip.

This is New York city under attack from old-school videogames. Pac-Man, Frogger, Donkey Kong .... they're all here will Tetronimos combine with skyscrapers, destroying the buildings four floors at at time. 

Quite simply ... sit back and enjoy.

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Categories Film Tags Design

By Juan on 11/4/10

One Team, One Nation

"Sport's most iconic image and the story behind it..."

To quote John Carlin, author of the book Playing With The Enemy, the basis for the film Invictus that breaks in UK cinemas this month;

"By far the most fabulous and memorable political event I've ever witnesses was the Rugby World Cup Final of 1995."

That Carlin would refer to a World Cup final thus, as a'political event', points to the the power sport genuinely exerts over politics.  And Nelson Mandela, as intelligent a politician as ever there has ever been, was the man to recognise this.  The man to recognise that sport can move people emotionally to such an extent that it could and did unite a once fundamentally fractured nation. The man to move against this opportunity and challenge.  For those familiar with the turmoil of post-apartheid South Africa, the scale of this achievement was and remains breathtaking.

Morgan Freeman has gone on record as saying he had wanted to play Nelson Mandela in a film for many years but it was always about waiting for the right story and formula.  Carlin's tale offered him the formula and angle he was looking for.  And early critique suggest Freeman delivers a masterful performance in the role he was perhaps born to play (so says Mandela's own daughter..).  And while Matt Damon's involvement in the production is an inevitable point of controversy the same critics suggest he delivers a solid performance (with a worthy accent) allowing the focus to reside where it should, on Mandela as portrayed by Freeman.

Ahead of the realease of the film, and in Morgan Freeman's words, here is the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the story behind the image.

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Categories Film Tags Sport Politics Endeavour suso Film General

By Juan on 23/1/10

Alot To Live Up To

"The original is a reference for creativity, how will the remake stack up?"

Clash of the Titans, the 1981 fantasy adventure film based on the myth of Perseus, was originally released on June 12, 1981. It cost a significant $16 million to produce (Laurence Olivier never came cheap!) for what was a steady if unspectacular return of $41 million at the box office. However the relative commercial success of the original is perhaps the least significant part of the film. Entirely more significant were the highly creative special effects used to create the imaginative creatures in the film and the extent to which these have come to represent a landmark in cinema history.

This was largely the work of the cinema special effects legend that is Ray Harryhausen and his stop motion animation technique. Although more sophisticated technology quickly eclipsed Harryhuasen’s pioneering approach his contribution to this film and the film industry as a whole is not lost on his ever growing legion of fans who have graduated into the professional film industry over the last decade. Although none of Harryhausen's films were ever nominated for a special effects Oscar, in 1992 he was finally awarded a Gordon E. Sawyer Award for "technological contributions which have brought credit to the industry" and near the turn of the 21st century, Harryhausen was also honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. More significantly in the 2001 Pixar film, Monsters Inc. pays homage to Harryhausen in a scene where characters Mike Wazowski and Celia Mae visit a restaurant named "Harryhausen's". Not quite South Park but a huge accolade none-the-less.

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Categories Film Tags Art culture Design Drama Media

By Juan on 11/1/10

Imagination Defined?

"There is a place like no place on earth..." 

"....some say to survive it, you need to be as mad as a hatter - which luckily, I am,"  So a familiar face proclaims to us all...

Johnny Depp's acting eccentricity was made for this role.  Tim Burton's unparalelled creativity was made for this film.  The imagination of Lewis Carroll (aka Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) made for them both. 

Throw in Alice, a giant eyed cat, an army of playing cards, an oddly shaped head on the shoulders of Helena Bonham Carter's tyrannical Red Queen and a host of other crazy characters and the fantastical world of Wonderland comes alive. 

"Literary nonense" was the term given by critics to the book on its release - you have to wonder what they would have made of Mr Burton back in 1865?

Can't wait for the release on 5th March 2010.  Enjoy the trailer.

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Categories Film Tags Art culture Design

By Juan on 22/12/09

Happy To Remember

"What I love is the way it explores the willingness to get out of where you are, that you can make it, no matter what."

Brittany Murphy reveals her own take on "no can't do" when discussing her most acclaimed role opposite rapper Eminem in his biopic 8 Mile.

Acting talent, ever popular costar, and undoubted screen sex symbol ... the film world is a poorer place today for the loss of Brittany Murphy at the shocking age of only 32.  Although in recent years her on-screen roles had declined, ironically for one so beautiful, her voicing of characters namely in King of the Hill and the animated movie Happy Feet, brought with it some outstanding contributions.  A singinging voice that would stand out in any company best remembered through the clip below.  Gloria, Brittany, you will be missed.

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Categories Film Tags Art culture Music

By Juan on 21/12/09

Pulling The Plug

"Creativity inspiring creativity"

We're not sure how long this will survive on line before Disney bring in their legal minions and they pull the plug... but for now let's enjoy how the historical brilliance of Pixar's creative department, led by the genius of John Lassiter, render the Pixar name the muse of creatives everywhere.  The end scene on the 90 second piece below just cracks me up. 

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Categories Film Tags Art culture Design Fun

By Juan on 19/10/09

A 'refreshing' Alternative

Ever watched a film and thought ... 'What kind of an ending was that?!?" ...

Well these guys certainly have, and more than just rant about it, they've decided to tell us just how it should have been.  Check out this for a mad man's rampant imagination.

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Categories Film Tags culture suso Design Fun

By Juan on 7/10/09

Don't Have The Time?

"28 Days later in under a minute. On one Take."

A thing about movies, is that for all the pleasure they can bring, all the thinking they can provoke, all the debate they can stir up, they still take time in the day to sit down, view and enjoy. That's less of  a problem if you have space in your day and hours to kill, but for the time pressured among us, keeping up with the movie scene can be a real stretch.  But does it have to be?

There seems to be a very small trend at the moment towards concentrating the cinema essentials into a smaller package, with a view to delivering a movie's key messages (and to a degree the enjoyment) but in less than half the time.  Check this out for Gran Torino in 10 minutes.

The trade off is clearly around the experience, the scope to suspend our disbelief and immerse ourselves in another life or a different world.  Clearly this approach will never work for some films and most film fans.  But, when you get souls as creative as this crew 'on an alternative set of 28 Days Later' you might end up debating with friends as to where the most immediate enjoyment is actually to be had.

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Categories Film Tags Art culture Drama

By Juan on 30/9/09

The King Of Cool

"You know what, that might be kinda fun."

Steve McQueen, Box Office Star signs up to a Daily Scale Stunt Contract in 1975

As the 30th anniversary of Steve MCQueen's death and a new biopic approach (Brad Pitt and Daniel Craig fighting it out for the lead), the extent to which the King Of Cool's life revolved around fast cars and bikes becomes a talking point for us all.

Born five months after the Great Depression to alcoholic parents who abandoned him in his youth McQueen was dyslexic, alone, and in and out of reform school until the age of 18.  However, a love of motorsport kept him off the booze and out of prison.  As his acting career took shape he was never one to be found waiting for the phone to ring.  Quite simply Steve McQueen had his bikes, and this was a passion he carried throughout his acting career.

One story goes that having just filmed Towering Inferno for a reported $14m, McQueen called a buddy looking to go for a bike ride in the desert.  This friend, a stunt rider, couldn't make the trip in that he had a job the next day on a film called Dixie Dynamite (I know what you're thinking...). For $174-50 daily rate, McQueen signed up to a day of sliding corners, sailing jumps and laying down crashes.  In all the excitement one wheelie got the better of him and he came off the back infront of everyone.  Truly one of the guys, his stunt crew loved him for it.

This love of bikes was never more apparent than in the final scenes of On Any Sunday in 1971.  As a biker what I'd give to be able to play in the sand like that with my buddies today.  Alas green laning (freeriding in the off road UK) is fast become extinct but in the US in the 70s this was on tap!  If you haven't seen the film the end scene is well worth a view here.

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Categories Film Tags Fashion General Endeavour Art

By Juan on 27/8/09