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Thoughts During Movies: Cinderella

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I just got out of seeing Cinderella in IMAX, and boy do I have some thoughts. Time for another “Thoughts During Movies” segment. For those unaware, I tend to have a lot of random tidbits I think about during Disney films, and instead of a regular review, I give you my stream of consciousness to show you how the movie was for me. If that didn’t make any sense…just read below and you’ll get the gist.

  • My dad coming home would be enough…an origami butterfly is just a waste of paper.
  • Lavender Blue?! I only know the Burl Ives version (especially when sung by Ashley Brown! #OnTheRecord), but this is just charming!
  • Hayley Atwell and Lily James look amazingly alike. Are we sure they aren’t related?
  • Oscar for the Costume and Hair/Make-Up. Now. I don’t have any right to hand those out, but here ya go. Exquisite.
  • This makes me, once again, angry that when a Disney film has a “regal” quality, they only make special merchandise and amazing themed clothing for women. I would like a line of Prince, or hell, Cinderella, inspired clothes and shoes and WHATEVER! I would spend hundreds of dollars…COME ON DISNEY! Rant over.

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Review: Star Wars – The Force Awakens Teaser Trailer

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Now that we’ve had a few moments to digest the first trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and get ‘the feels’ out of the way, it’s time for a deeper look at what we see in our first glimpse of the Star Wars universe as brought to you by J.J. Abrams and team. If there’s one thing this trailer does, is it alleviates your fears. No, J.J. Abrams isn’t going to cram a million lens flares into every frame like he did with the Star Trek series. In fact, it is very much in keeping with the cinematography of the original trilogy.

In fact, this trailer appears designed to make you forget about the second trilogy (the prequels) entirely. I’d say it just about succeeds. It has the scope and adventure of the original trilogy, it evokes the dirty worn down tech we were used to, and it transports you to an otherworldly and exotic place. By the time we get to the new John Williams score, we’re ready to believe that this is going to be an awesome film.

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The narrator appears to be Andy Serkis. While we know he’s been cast, we don’t know quite what character he’s playing in the film, but it might be one of the force wielding bad guys. We see the new look Storm Troopers, very close to the classic look, but just different enough to be amazing and menacing.Read More »Review: Star Wars – The Force Awakens Teaser Trailer

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Director on Filming for IMAX 3D

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Earlier we heard from the editor of Guardians of the Galaxy on why you must view the film in IMAX format, now IMAX has released a short featurette with director James Gunn talking about how this film was planned from the start to maximize the IMAX 3D format.

Yeah, it’s a bit of a marketing piece, but what movie preview isn’t?

If you’re interested in the Director’s motivations behind making Guardians of the Galaxy, this piece in Film Journal really goes into the details. The movie premiere was last night in Los Angeles. I’m sure world will be out of this galaxy, Slashfilm has collected a bunch of thoughts from those who’ve already seen the movie. There was a live stream from the red carpet, which may still be viewable on YouTube.

I’m seeing it on Thursday and will have a full review shortly before the August 1st.

Bonus clip from the movie below the jump:

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17-minute preview of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, My Report

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Marvel comic book geeks all across America are united in crying out just one word today – More! Please give us more of the fantastic film that is “Guardians of the Galaxy.” A 17-minute preview was shown on IMAX (and the smaller IMAX-lite) screens across the country today.

I’ve watched the previews and read the movie screening materials, but other than that I am not that familiar with the Guardians of the Galaxy story or characters, so I went into today’s 17-minute IMAX special preview with a near blank slate.

The special extended scene we saw focused on a jail break scene. It’s not right from the beginning of the film, but apparently it’s not too far into it either. But it’s the perfect scene as it introduces the audience to all of guardians, their capabilities and personalities, as well shows how they work together as a team. Which is, in short, amazing.

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The 3D IMAX version we saw was very immersive. The director took advantage of how deep the space was to really move objects through it, so when you’re watching in 3D, you get that added perspective of depth, and it makes the film that much more realistic (even as you watch the somewhat cartoony violence).

I was worried that audiences who aren’t familiar with Peter Quill, Gamora, Rocket, Groot or Drax won’t warm to the film, but trust me, if you don’t like the characters by this point in the film, the prison escape sequence will seal the deal. The rapport and interplay is witty, well written, superbly acted (especially considering the digital animation that went into two of the characters) and just enough outside the stereotype you expect for the characters to be interesting.

I definitely recommend catching “Guardians of the Galaxy” this August 1st when it opens at a theatre near you. Watch it in 3D on the largest clearest screen you can find withing reasonable driving distance.

If you missed the 7/7 at 7pm IMAX screening you can still catch a separate sequence at Disneyland or Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

A new featurette and the latest previews are below the jump too:

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New International Trailer for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

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Welcome to a whole new galaxy and meet its new guardians. The new international trailer for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy has tons of new footage and focuses a bit less on the comedy and more on the adventure.

In a recent Facebook post director James Gunn wrote about the 3D and IMAX 3D versions and why GoTG will be a must-see in 3D:

“Just got out of working on the Guardians cut for IMAX 3D and I’m unbelievably excited about it. Guardians of the Galaxy has been planned as a 3D film from its very inception. Yes, if you see the film in 2D, you’ll get a full experience. But the 3D experience promises a little something extra. Unlike many directors, I’ve been actively involved with converting every shot to 3D, making sure it works perfectly for the story and the film, making sure it’s spectacular and immersive without being silly, distracting, or overly showy. 3D conversion was once far inferior to shooting in 3D, but over the past couple years new technology has allowed us incredible control over the 3D effects, making it equal to or in some cases greater than shooting in 3D.

As an EXTRA benefit for those who see the film in IMAX 3D, we will be changing aspect ratios throughout the film in a way that makes the experience even fuller and more encompassing. I’ve personally chosen all the places where the changes occur and, again, I love how it’s coming along. The changing aspect ratios in this case are actually a part of the storytelling.”

Below the jump we also have a new TV spot that ran during the NBA Finals. Check out the new footage here too:

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Iron Man 3 Review – Spoiler Free

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Who is Tony Stark? Who is Iron Man? Those questions are given a lot of attention in the third film in the Iron Man trilogy. Taking place after the world changing events of The Avengers, Iron Man 3 is really a sequel to that film, and yet, it seems to exist in a universe entirely separate from it. None of the characters from The Avengers appear in Iron Man 3. There is no S.H.E.I.L.D., no of Thunder, no sign that The Avengers ever happened, except, Tony Stark’s struggle to overcome some perfectly understandable anxiety after having pushed himself to his limits to save the world and almost failed. If I had one problem with the film, it’s that it could have been clearer that this was the reason The Avengers were kept at arms length by Stark. Read More »Iron Man 3 Review – Spoiler Free

Iron Man 3 – Behind The Scenes Featurette

Robert Downey, Jr and Sir Ben Kingsley in Moscow to promote the film May 3rd can’t get here soon enough. I’m crackling with anticipation for Iron Man 3 playing in all its IMAX glory. Can’t get enough of Robert Downey, Jr. in the role either.… Read More »Iron Man 3 – Behind The Scenes Featurette

Iron Man 3 IMAX 3D Poster Released

Marvel and IMAX have released the official poster for the IMAX 3D version of Iron Man 3. The film is being digitally re-mastered into the larger image and higher sound quality of An IMAX 3D Experience via proprietary IMAX DMR (Digital Re-mastering) technology. In theory,… Read More »Iron Man 3 IMAX 3D Poster Released