Hold the 'Fone

Subject: We've Moved!
Time: 12:39:49 PM EST
Author:  summermovieblog

Looking for Hold the 'Fone? We've got swanky new digs over at http://www.moviefonenewsblog.com/. So please change your bookmarks, and come on over and join us -- the water's fine.


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Subject: EXCLUSIVE: First Look at the New Poster for 'Pride'
Time: 12:19:06 PM EST
Author:  summermovieblog

Slip on your Speedo and dive right into your first look at the poster for 'Pride,' the inspired-by-true-events story of one man who brings hope and -- you guessed it -- pride to a group of black inner-city teenagers by introducing them to the sport of competitive swimming.

Academy-Award nominee Terrence Howard stars as said motivational man, Jim Ellis, who, with the help of a janitor (funnyman Bernie Mac), fixes up a recreational pool in a Philadelphia slum and starts the city's first African-American swim team.

The film hits theaters March 23, 2007, but you can check out the trailer now. Luckily, the trailer makes it sound as though Bernie Mac swimming buck naked is something we can expect NOT to see in the film -- so the movie already has that going for it, which is nice.

POST: What do you think of this poster?

POST: Are you excited for 'Pride'?

WATCH IT: 'Pride' trailer 

GET IT: More info about the movie

Tags: Pride, Terrence Howard, Bernie Mac, Kimberly Elise, movies

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Subject: Monday's Box Office Roundup
Time: 11:02:33 AM EST
Author:  summermovieblog

Hello box office gamers. Another Monday morning, which means it's Sandie here, bringing you the results of the weekend box office. Let's get started with a little reminder of Patricia's picks. Last Thursday, Patricia predicted the following movies would land in the top five:

1. Apocalypto
2. The Holiday
3. Blood Diamond
4. Happy Feet
5. Casino Royale

And while all those movies did indeed land in the top five, 'Blood Diamond' finished 5th:

1. Apocalypto, $14.2 million
2. The Holiday, $13.5 million
3. Happy Feet, $12.7 million
4. Casino Royale, $8.8 million
5. Blood Diamond, $8.5 million

This week, if my second-grade math skills are up to par, it looks like no one correctly guessed the exact lineup, but five of you did earn 12 points, including bubba8193, who we were beginning to think was a professional box office analyst. The other four top guesses came from nocare4ua, quealynyc, tangoeco and zsxxx03. Congrats to all five of you. And welcome back, dylsan. We hadn't heard from you in a while. Here's where everyone is in the weekly standings:

1. Patricia -- this week: 10 points/total: 96 points (after 9 weeks)
2. zsxxx03 -- 12 points/91 points (8 weeks)
3. chrisnbn -- 10/85 points (8 weeks)
4. crzydcguy84 -- 6 points/75 points (9 weeks)
5. mrheenster -- 7 points/64 points (8 weeks)
6. tangoeco -- 12 points/46 points (5 weeks)
7. bubba8193 -- 12 points/44 points (3 weeks)
8. laraeruiz -- 6 points/38 points (5 weeks)
9. drurd2006 -- no entry/27 points (3 weeks); bostonsleppard -- 9 points/27 points (3 weeks)
10. ajdear -- 5 points/25 points (3 weeks)
11. jecmen24 -- 10 points/17 points (2 weeks)
12. dylsan -- 8 points/14 points (2 weeks)
13. liesse00 -- 10 points/14 points (2 weeks)
14. ardentheater -- no entry/13 points (1 week)
    
15. quealynyc -- 12 points (1 week)
16. brldisteach -- no entry/12 points (1 week)
17. filmman36 -- no entry/12 points (1 week)
18. malc004 -- no entry/12 points (1 week)
19. aargabrite -- no entry/11 points (1 week)
20. ssitalionstallion -- 11 points (1 week)
21. tennesseehearts1 -- 10 points (1 week)
22. zippylizardhead --no entry/10 points (1 week)
23. ethandavid26 -- no entry/ 9 points (1 week)
24. kandaegurl -- no entry/9 points (1 week)
25. linc68503 --- no entry/9 points(1 week)
26. mamasitalinda520 -- no entry/9 points (1 week)
27. sleezye396 -- no entry/9 points (1 week)
28. taltarzac -- no entry/9 points (1 week)
29. pmentslenchanted -- 8 points (1 week)
30. bnfan08 -- no entry/8 points (1 week)
31. epr1202 -- no entry/8 points (1 week)
32. horsegenius88 -- no entry/8 points (1 week)
33. slowriter57 -- no entry/8 points (1 week)
34. swsfamily -- no entry/8 points (1 week)
35. lisalr1 -- 7 points (1 week)
36. reverbzz -- no entry/7 points (1 week)
37. golfman -- no entry/7 points (1 week)
38. cali1184 -- no entry/6 points (1 week)
39. mastermike612 -- no entry/6 points (1 week)
40. ideswe2 -- 5 points (1 week)
41. bonaldduck -- no entry/5 points (1 week)
42. evilone1414 -- no entry/4 points (1 week)
43. lovelymsbond007 -- no entry/4 points (1 week)
44. polyt2ari -- no entry/4 points (1 week)

Most of you  just knew that despite his drunken, anti-Semitic tirade, Mel Gibson knows how to please blood thirsty action-adventure lovers. 'Apocalypto' finished No. 1 with a less than remarkable $14.2 million opening, but still, No. 1 is No. 1, and just enough to confirm that Gibson does in fact still have a thriving career in Hollywood. Given that the Maya epic has received mostly positive reviews and reportedly cost $40 million, it looks more than likely that Gibson will recoup his personal investment and Disney won't rue the day it signed on to distribute it. As the Washington Post critic Stephen Hunter sums up in his review, "Gibson may not be much of a deep thinker, but he's a heck of a storyteller." True, true, true.

'The Holiday,' which definitely does not feature any scenes of human sacrifice or ritual decap, opened with a decent $13.5 million. I don't know about you, but I sure would love to be a character in a Nancy Meyers romantic comedy. These folks are all gorgeous (well, OK, maybe not Jack Black, but he's sweet and funny and rich) and live in amazing dwellings (remember Diane Keaton's beach house in 'Something's Gotta Give'?) and "meet-cute" in a way that you just know is gonna work out... in a movie.

As for Leo's second big drama of the season, the African-set political thriller 'Blood Diamond' landed a disappointing No. 5. It's not all that surprising, considering it's a male-skewing film, and apparently most movie-going men were checking out Jaguar Paw's race home in 'Apocalypto.' Overall, it seems, people just stayed home in anticipation of next week's blockbuster-palooza: 'Eragon,' 'Charlotte's Web' and Will Smith, I mean, 'The Pursuit of Happyness.'

And with that, I bid you all farewell and wish you a great week of Christmas parties and holiday shopping! Don't forget to check out our Holiday Gift Guide if you're still not sure what to buy your friends, kids' teachers, Secret-Santa pick, etc.

POST: What do you think of the weekend's box office?

Tags:  Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, The Holiday, Happy Feet, Casino Royale, Blood Diamond, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith, box office

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Subject: EXCLUSIVE: 'TMNT' Character Banner Premiere
Time: 5:57:04 PM EST
Author:  summermovieblog

Hold onto your half shells -- everyone's favorite ninja-fighting teenage turtles of the mutant variety are headed back to the big screen  in 'TMNT,' an all-new CGI chapter in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles saga. In the wake of Shredder's demise, the Turtles have fallen apart as a family, with leader Leonardo having gone completely off the reservation. But when industrialist Max Winters begins assembling an evil army of Foot Clan alums and ancient monsters to take a stab at world domination, Leo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael must reunite to stop them. The film doesn't hit screens until March 23, 2007, but we've got an exclusive look at the theatrical banner right this very minute. Click on the image for a larger version. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

POST: What do you think of this banner?

POST: Are you pscyhed for 'TMNT'?

WATCH IT: 'TMNT' teaser trailer

GET IT: 'TMNT' poster, synopsis and more

Tags: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TMNT, Kevin Munroe, Mako, movies

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Subject: Box Office Prediction: Mayans, Diamonds and Chick Flicks, Oh My!
Time: 1:31:43 PM EST
Author:  summermovieblog

Hi, how are you? Or as the Mayans say: Bix a belex? (Dunno if that's accurate. I got it off the Internet.) Patricia here, and I have to admit, I have no idea which movie's going to finish No. 1 this week. None. Zero. (Or as the Mayans say: Hoon. OK, I'll stop now.) My advice? Wait until bubba8193 makes his picks, and then post whatever he does. He's our only poster with a perfect prediction record, which is freaking me out a little. Maybe he's using a quantum-physics wormhole to travel back in time, like Denzel Washington in 'Deja Vu.'

'Apocalypto': A year ago, I would've confidently predicted that Mel Gibson's action-historical epic -- about a peaceful Mayan who's captured by ruthless warriors and marched off to be sacrificed -- would dominate the box office. But after the public bloodbath Gibson's endured over the last six months, I'm not so sure. And speaking of blood, you may have guessed this already, but 'Apocalypto' is violent. Really violent. If you're in the mood for decapitations and scenes where people's still-beating hearts are ripped from their chests, then this is your movie. (I never saw 'The Passion of the Christ,' but apparently this movie's less violent than that one, so take that for whatever it's worth.)

There's every possibility that audiences will take said bloodiness into consideration -- along with the fact that the film is entirely in Mayan and directed by Gibson -- and give 'Apocalypto' a pass. On the other hand, I have to hand it to Mel: He does know how to make a movie. 'Apocalypto' is getting strong reviews, and justifiably so, as there are few directors who could take a film about an ancient civilization, featuring entirely unknown actors, and make it both commercial and emotionally resonant. Well, as they say in Hollywood and everywhere else, no publicity is bad publicity, right? It'll be interesting to see whether the curiosity factor and positive word of mouth are enough to drive 'Apocalypto' to the top.

'Blood Diamond': I guess we're going with blood as a theme this week, as 'Apocalypto' gets its chief competition in the action/thriller/big-movie category from this film about civil war in Sierra Leone. Leonardo DiCaprio is Danny Archer, a diamond smuggler who hears of a ginormous stone that was found by Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounso), a fisherman forced to work in the mines. Archer wants to steal the diamond and leave Africa for good, whereas Vandy just wants to rescue his son, who was kidnapped and brainwashed by rebels. Violence in this film: kids having their hands amputated, people being shot in the head, and one rebel losing his eye to a bullet. Good times. The issue that 'Blood Diamond' brings to the fore -- the devastating effect that the diamond business has on countries like Sierra Leone -- is an important one, but the resulting movie is something of an awkward marriage between political statement and action-adventure flick. Still, DiCaprio (who gives another fine performance) is a draw, as are explosions; and if this movie opens people's eyes just a little bit, I'm all for it.

'The Holiday': So bloodshed isn't your thing? You'll probably head instead for this Nancy Meyers ('Something's Gotta Give') romantic comedy about two lovelorn women (Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet) who trade houses for two weeks. Surely I'm not giving away the ending when I say that they end up finding love -- Diaz with Jude Law, and Winslet with Jack Black. (The characters, not the actors, silly.) 'The Holiday' is cute, though at times it tends to strain for maximum manic adorableness; and at 136 minutes it requires a greater commitment than some of its characters are able to give. But it's the highest-profile chick flick we've had in a while, so women will go see it, and drag their significant others along. Men, try not to make a face.

'Unaccompanied Minors': Kids! Running loose! At the airport! On Christmas! That's pretty much what this movie's about. (It must've been an easy film to pitch to the studios.) Wilmer Valderrama is the biggest star here, as a flight attendant who's tasked with trying to keep the munchkins in check. Will this be the family film to topple 'Happy Feet'? It's possible, but I have my doubts. Wilmer's popular with the ladies, apparently, but he hasn't yet reached the status of his 'That 70s Show' co-star, Ashton Kutcher. And I'm guessing that when given the choice between animated penguins and a bunch of juvenile delinquents, most parents will opt for penguins. Sorry, Fez.

So there you have it: blood, blood, romance and kids. The only thing I know for sure is that when the dust settles, we'll have a new No. 1 movie at the box office -- but what that will be is anyone's guess. Go on, take a whack at it, and please note the deadline below.

NOTE: Prediction entries must be submitted by midnight (Pacific time) on Saturday, and you may only post one prediction. Ready, set ... predict.

1. Apocalypto
2. The Holiday
3. Blood Diamond
   
4. Happy Feet
   
5. Casino Royale
   

POST: What's your weekend top five prediction?

POST: What do you think of these movies?

Apocalypto: Showtimes, tix, trailer & more | Exclusive Mel Gibson Q&A

Blood Diamond: Showtimes, tix, trailer & more | Exclusive clips

The Holiday: Showtimes, tix, trailer & more | Cameron & Kate chat

Unaccompanied Minors: Showtimes, tix, trailer & more | Go behind the scenes

Tags: Apocalypto, Blood Diamond, The Holiday, Unaccompanied Minors, Mel Gibson, movies, box office, prediction

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Subject: Awards Watch: Clint Claims First Victory
Time: 11:42:45 AM EST
Author:  summermovieblog

Can you feel it in the air? Awards Season officially began with yesterday's announcement of the National Board of Review's 2006 honors, with Best Picture going to Clint Eastwood's World War II epic 'Letters from Iwo Jima' (opening Dec. 20), the companion piece to his other film this fall, 'Flags of Our Fathers.' Eastwood, whose diabolical plot to rule the Academy Awards throughout all of the 21st century is so far an adequate success, employed a fascinating battle strategy: Release two films and it doubles your chances at Oscar glory! (Be on the lookout for Eastwood's 2007 'Three Blind Mice' trilogy).

Top acting awards both went to royalty, with Helen Mirren taking Best Actress for her stunning portrayal of Elizabeth II in 'The Queen' and Forest Whitaker pillaging his way to Best Actor as Idi Amin in 'The Last King of Scotland.' If Mirren's victory reveals anything, it's that National Board of Review members do indeed take our pleas on Hold the Fone seriously. As for Whitaker, no surprise there, he's been accumulating praise since 'King's' September debut in Toronto. But have you ever seen how hot his wife is? That's kinda surprising.


Best Director deservedly went to Martin Scorsese for 'The Departed,' a thriller that's blown all of our heads off -- I mean, blown all of us away -- here at Moviefone. What's most intriguing about the Board of Review's picks are that they set in motion what many pundits believe will be an Oscar rematch between Eastwood and Scorsese (after 'Million Dollar Baby' vs. 'The Aviator' in 2005). Will both earn spots come nomination time? Or will Eastwood's war films cancel each other out? Will Scorsese finally take home the gold? And don't his magnificent eyebrows count for anything? Join the debate here.

Get the complete list of National Board of Review Winners

POST: What do you think of the winners?

POST: Who will get nominated for Academy Awards?

Tags: National Board of Review, Letters from Iwo Jima, Clint Eastwood, Helen Mirren, Ryan Gosling, Forest Whitaker, Martin Scorsese, The Departed, Movie Awards

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Subject: EXCLUSIVE: 'Happily N'Ever After' Character Banners
Time: 6:18:22 PM EST
Author:  summermovieblog

Hey there kids, we've got an exclusive first look at three character posters from Lionsgate's upcoming animated fairy tale, 'Happily N'Ever After.' The film follows the romantic misadventures of an almost-princess named Ella (Sarah Michelle Gellar), whose wicked stepmother (Sigourney Weaver) banishes her from the castle and foils her budding relationship with a lame-o prince fittingly named Humperdink. With the help of lowly dishwasher Rick (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Ella tries to make her way back to her sweet, sweet prince -- but realizes that her knight in shining armor might be the guy who soaps the grease off her pans (not a euphemism, honestly).

But I digress, below find the three character posters, one of an Ogre, one of a Pig and the final one of ... Rumplestiltskin himself. Simply click on each image for a larger version. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

POST: What do you think of these banners?

POST: Are you excited to see the movie?

GET IT: More info on 'Happily N'Ever After'

Tags: Happily N'Ever After, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sigourney Weaver, movies

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Subject: EXCLUSIVE: Three New 'Eragon' Clips
Time: 11:58:05 AM EST
Author:  summermovieblog

Ever since plans were announced to make a movie adaptation of wunderkind author Christopher Paolini's 'Eragon,' fantasy fans have been eagerly anticipating its arrival, stoked at the promise of new meaning in their lives in a post-'Lord of the Rings'-trilogy world.

For those unfamiliar with Paolini's Inheritance Trilogy -- yep, like all good fantasy stories, this one comes in three installments -- it tells of a young farm boy named Eragon (Ed Speleers) who discovers a dragon's egg in the forest. With the help of Jeremy Irons -- who has pretty much cornered the market on playing medieval mentors clad in chain mail -- Eragon learns that he's destined to take up the mantle of the Dragon Riders and defend his homeland of Alagaesia from the evil Galbatorix (John Malkovich).

Luckily for Shire groupies and Alagaesia lovers everywhere, Christmas comes early this year: 'Eragon' hits theaters Dec. 15. But you don't have to wait until then to catch a glimpse of the movie. We've got a trio of exclusive new clips from the film showcasing some key moments -- including the majestic CGI dragon's maiden flight. Check 'em out below.

WATCH CLIP #1 | WATCH CLIP #2 | WATCH CLIP #3 | WATCH TRAILER

POST:What do you think of these clips?

POST: Are you excited for 'Eragon'?

GET 'EM: 'Eragon' showtimes and tickets | 'Eragon' photos

Tags: Eragon, Ed Speleers, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Christopher Paolini, movies

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Subject: Monday's Box Office Roundup
Time: 11:42:25 AM EST
Author:  summermovieblog

Hola movie fans, it's Sandie with the weekly box office results. Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome to our many first-timers who tried their luck with the weekend predictions. Just a friendly reminder to get your picks in by Saturday night at 11:59PM. We'll let it slide this week, but in the future, "No soup for you!"

Last Thursday, Patricia picked the following as the top five:

1. Happy Feet
2. Casino Royale
3. Deja Vu
4. Turistas
5. The Nativity Story

And for the second week in a row, the No. 4 and 5 spots ended up reversed:

1. Happy Feet, $17.05 million
2. Casino Royale,$15.1 million
3. Deja Vu, $11 million
4. The Nativity Story, $8 million
5. Deck the Halls, $6.6 million

I'm not sure what his magic trick is, but once again the same poster (and this is quite unprecedented) has managed to correctly predict the exact top-five lineup: bubba8193.  Bubba, you're only in your second week playing, and you're already in 7th place. Way to go! Box office regular zsxxx03 came in a close second this week with 13 points. If only 'Turistas' had been No. 5, he too would've had a perfect score. Here's where everyone is in the weekly standings:

1. Patricia -- this week: 11 points/total: 86 points (after 8 weeks)
2. zsxxx03 -- 13 points/79 points (7 weeks)
3. chrisnbn -- 10/75 points (7 weeks)
   
4. crzydcguy84 -- 4 points/69 points (8 weeks)
5. mrheenster -- 8 points/57 points (7 weeks)
6. tangoeco -- 9 points/34 points (4 weeks)
7. bubba8193 -- 16 points/32 points (2 weeks)
laraeruiz -- 11 points/32 points (4 weeks)
8. drurd2006 -- no entry/27 points (3 weeks)
9. ajdear -- 9 points/20 points (2 weeks)
10. bostonsleppard -- 9 points/18 points (2 weeks)
11. ardentheater -- no entry/13 points (1 week)
12. brldisteach -- no entry/12 points (1 week)
13. filmman36 -- 12 points (1 week)
14. malc004 -- 12 points (1 week)
    
15. aargabrite -- no entry/11 points (1 week)
16. ssitalionstallion -- 11 points (1 week)
    
17. zippylizardhead --no entry/10 points (1 week)
18. ethandavid26 -- no entry/ 9 points (1 week)
19. kandaegurl -- 9 points (1 week)
20. linc68503 --- no entry/9 points(1 week)
21. mamasitalinda520 -- 9 points (1 week)
22. sleezye396 -- 9 points (1 week)
    
23. taltarzac -- 9 points (1 week)
    
24. bnfan08 -- 8 points (1 week)
25. epr1202 -- 8 points (1 week)
26. horsegenius88 -- 8 points (1 week)
27. slowriter57 -- 8 points (1 week)
28. swsfamily -- 8 points (1 week)
    
29. reverbzz -- no entry/7 points (1 week)
30. golfman -- no entry/7 points (1 week)
    
31. jecmen24 -- no entry/7 points (1 week)
32. cali1184 -- no entry/6 points (1 week)
33. dylsan -- 6 points (1 week)
34. mastermike612 -- 6 points (1 week)
    
35. bonaldduck -- 5 points (1 week)
36. evilone1414 -- 4 points (1 week)
37. liesse00 -- 4 points (1 week)
38. lovelymsbond007 -- 4 points (1 week)
    
39. polyt2ari -- 4 points (1 week)

Looks like everyone in America is going to same three films. For a third week in a row, 'Happy Feet' and 'Casino Royale' finished one and two, and for the second consecutive week, 'Deja Vu' is third. 'Happy Feet' is only the second film of the year (the first is 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest,' which coincidentally comes out on DVD this week) to three-peat at No. 1. The animated musical has now made more than $121 million. Who would've thought a tap-dancing penguin could be all the rage this fall?

None of the week's new releases made much of a dent at the box office, although it seems some moviegoers did venture out to see the "reason for the season" drama 'The Nativity Story,' which follows the Biblical 90-mile journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where as we all know, Mary gave birth to Jesus. Sadly, I spent a distracting amount of the time during the film thinking of 16-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes' actual teenage pregnancy. But that's a whole other story.

As for 'Turistas,' it's clear not every horror flick featuring scantily clad women (what other reason is the line "Do you mind if I take my top off?" in the trailer but to attract horndog teen boys) is destined for box-office glory. It made a mere $3.5 million and had to settle for 8th place. Oh, well. At least Josh Duhamel has 'Las Vegas.'

Well, folks, that's it for this week. Good luck with your predictions!

POST: What do you think of the weekend's box office?

Tags: Happy Feet, Casino Royale, Deja Vu, Nativity Story, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Turistas, Josh Duhamel, box office



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Subject: Behind the Scenes: 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'
Time: 12:18:28 PM EST
Author:  summermovieblog

Hi there. It's Patricia again, here to talk a little about the special effects on 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest,' which comes out on DVD on December 5. The two-disc DVD contains loads of fun extras -- over five hours' worth in all -- like "Bloopers of the Caribbean," "Meet Davy Jones" and "Creating the Kraken," and the animators at Industrial Light & Magic were gracious enough to provide a sneak peek of some of the more technical features when I visited their offices about a month ago. Herewith, some of the things I learned:

All Animators Could Use the Wisdom of Yoda: OK, this has nothing to do with 'Pirates.' But the first thing you see when you approach the year-old ILM offices in San Francisco's Presidio (the park and former military base where 'The Presidio' was filmed) is Yoda himself, perched atop a water fountain. ILM, of course, was founded by 'Star Wars' guru George Lucas, and the shop created the special effects for all the 'Star Wars' films as well as almost every cool-looking movie ever made since then. It's comforting to know that Yoda is watching over all of ILM's projects, don't you think? I love this picture so much I'm thinking of turning the full-size version into my wallpaper. Aaaanyway.

Davy Jones Owes a Debt to Godzilla: According to ILM animation supervisor Hal Hickel, the hardest thing about creating the computer-generated character of Captain Jack Sparrow's nemesis, Davy Jones, was the tentacles. To figure out the look and behavior of Davy's beard (as well as, to some extent, the monstrous Kraken), Hickel looked for images of octopuses out of the water and ended up consulting an unlikely reference source. "I had a hazy memory of a 'Godzilla' film from my childhood that had a real octopus in it," he says. "Turns out it was 'King Kong vs. Godzilla.' And they have a great big red octopus that they turn loose on a Polynesian village, and the footage is fantastic. That ended up being one of the best pieces of reference we could find."

It's Lonely Being a CG Character -- Unless You're in 'Pirates': Most films with CG characters use motion-capture technology to bring those characters to life: The actor is isolated on a stage, and his or her movements are recorded in front of a bluescreen. But with 18 digital characters in 'Dead Man's Chest,' the animators wanted to be able to film the actors on-set. So they used performance capture, in which the actors wore special suits -- they looked like unitards with Nicoderm patches all over them -- that could be tracked in three different views. That way, the live actors (Johnny Depp, et al.) could interact opposite the computer-generated characters (Davy Jones and his crew) instead of talking to the air, as you may have seen in behind-the-scenes segments for other CG-heavy films. I mean really, how are you supposed to turn in an intense dramatic performance if you're only emoting to your imaginary friend?

Animators Will Do Anything for Their Art. They'll Even Stink -- Literally: In creating the drawings of the creepily evolving 'Pirates' characters, visual effects art director Aaron McBride consulted medical books on skin disorders, pictures of rugby players with broken noses (for Maccus, whose headlooks like a hammerhead shark) and a "nasty" website about the effects of tobacco on people's mouths (for Clanker, who plays dice with Will Turner). He also got a little too hands-on while working on Greenbeard, the navigator of the Flying Dutchman (that's Jimmy Legs to the left, but Greenbeard has a similar look). "His body's this hanging latticework of kelp and seaweed," McBride explains, "so I went down to the beach and just got a big plastic bucket and started throwing seaweed in there, and brought it back to the department and photographed it and used it for him. And after about three days it just started to reek. I was the least popular person in the department."

Davy Jones Secretly Wants More Cowbell: McBride reveals that initially, the 'Pirates' producers considered casting Ian McShane (Al Swearengen on 'Deadwood') or Christopher Walken in the part of Davy Jones. Yes, Walken. Puts a new spin on the character, doesn't it? Eventually they went with Bill Nighy ('Love Actually'), but McBride didn't have to adjust his drawings much at all. "It's funny," he says, "because both of those guys and Bill Nighy have real piercing eyes, so in the earlier iterations of this artwork I tried to work in Christopher Walken's super-blue eyes." After they cast Nighy (that's him on the right), McBride added in the actor's cheekbones and pursed lips, so that the CG character could match Nighy's performance as closely as possible. Naturally, Nighy, whom all the animators went out of their way to praise, is brilliant in the role -- but the next time I watch the film, I'm going to imagine Davy Jones sounding like Christopher Walken. Just for fun.

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Tags: Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man's Chest, Davy Jones, Bill Nighy,computer animation, ILM, movies

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