Inception News
Posted on Thursday, July 1st, 2010 at 1:21 pm by George
“I want to know the movie, and then as soon as I know it, I wished I didn’t.” That statement, articulated by Christopher Nolan in a recent interview with New York Times writer David Itzkoff, rings true for nearly anyone anticipating a film. And when something as original and mysterious as Nolan’s Inception is the center of that anticipation, the temptation to find out anything and everything about the project is only heightened. With just over two weeks until Inception hits theaters, the concern over whether or not audiences will take a dive into something perceived to be shrouded in secrecy has become the center of debate. “But it’s an unusual movie,” Nolan contends, “and so it’s a lot harder to just put out a two-and-a-half minute trailer and everyone goes, ‘Oh, yeah, I know what that is.’ An original concept – a world the audience hasn’t entered into before – for me as a filmgoer, that’s the most exciting thing.” Itzkoff calls Nolan “a blockbuster auteur,” a label all too appropriate in a climate where summer spectacles are re-written, re-shot, and re-titled to suit studio expectations. By trying to appeal to everyone, most recent releases are appealing to no one. Summer at the movies has never felt so bland.
Inception is Christopher Nolan’s third blockbuster. Although his previous effort, The Dark Knight, grossed over $1 billion worldwide, audiences had familiarity with the material and characters to drive anticipation. Inception has to rely mostly on Nolan’s good will from The Dark Knight, the appeal of Leonardo DiCaprio, and mind bending visuals to crank up excitement. The Hollywood Reporter’s BULLSEYE forecast shows it has high interest overall, but low traction with women. And Hollywood Elsewhere’s tracking information on the film is a bit worrisome, putting awareness only slightly above Angelina Jolie’s upcoming thriller Salt. But if audiences are hungry for something fresh, will tracking or even opening weekend grosses really tell the whole story? It was less than seven months ago that Avatar opened with a $77 million weekend and went on to gross nearly $750 million domestically. Inception is not expected to pull numbers that high, but word-of-mouth has clearly proven to be effective when audiences are given something special. And early word on Inception has been glowing.
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Inception News Superman News
Posted on Thursday, June 3rd, 2010 at 3:36 pm by TeddyBlass
The latest issue of Empire Magazine is laced with Christopher Nolan goodness – and that’s an understatement. On the cover is Leonardo DiCaprio via July 16th’s Inception, and on the inside are 3 fantastic features on Christopher Nolan and his films. The cover story is a feature on Inception, and with on-set access and an candid interview with Leonardo DiCaprio, the article attempts to solve the riddle of Nolan’s latest film. Another article included in the magazine is an exclusive interview with the writer-director that touches on Batman 3, Stanley Kubrick, 3D, and the much talked about next Superman film.
“[...] while David Goyer and myself were putting together the story for another Batman film a few years ago, you know thrashing out where we might move on from the Dark Knight, we got stuck. We were just sitting there idly chatting and he said â€by the way, I think I know how you approach Supermanâ€.. and he told me his take on it. I thought it was really tremendous. It was the first time I’ve been able to conceive of how you’d address Superman in a modern context. I thought it was a really exciting idea. What you have to remember about Batman and Superman is that what makes them the best superhero characters there are, the most beloved after all this time, is the essence of who they were when they were created, when they were first developed. You can’t move too far away from that.â€
Lastly, but not certainly not least-ly, this issue of Empire Magazine features (more a less) a profile on Christopher Nolan’s illustrious filmography. From Memento, all the way to The Dark Knight, Empire reflects on the fantastic -and still young- career of the filmmaker. The magazine even got Wally Pfister, Gary Oldman, Hugh Jackman, Robin Williams, and Jonathan Nolan to write about how Chris makes the magic happen. So head to your local bookstore today and find yourself a copy of Empire Magazine – you certainly won’t regret it!
Odd
Posted on Tuesday, May 4th, 2010 at 4:54 pm by AlexHaas
Debuting this summer, tickets for the first ever Hero Complex Film Festival just went on sale. The film festival will feature three signature filmmakers: Leonard Nimoy, Ridley Scott, and Christopher Nolan. This three day event will be sure to be exciting as films from these iconic creators are showcased with an on-stage presentation by the filmmakers, talking about the past, present and future of their heroic franchises.
The event begins on Friday, June 11, 2010, with the viewings of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home with special guest Leonard Nimoy. On Saturday, June 12, Insomnia and The Dark Knight will be shown, as well as, a short preview clip of Inception footage with special guest Christopher Nolan. Lastly on Sunday, June 13, catch Alien and Blade Runner viewings with special guest Ridley Scott.
The place is Mann’s Chinese 6, Hollywood. Buy those tickets.
Insomnia News
Posted on Monday, March 29th, 2010 at 1:58 pm by George
Warner Bros. has announced a Blu-ray release of Christopher Nolan’s 2002 film Insomnia. The film, starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank, is a remake of the 1997 Norwegian film of the same name. The release is set for July 13th, three days before the release of Nolan’s upcoming film Inception. As an incentive to pick up Insomnia, the BD will include ‘movie money’ ($7.50 value) that can be used for an Inception ticket.
Special features for the BD include two commentaries, one with Christopher Nolan and another with Wally Pfister, Hilary Swank, Editor Dody Dorn, Screenwriter Hillary Seitz, and Production Designer Nathan Crowley, as well as four featurettes (“Day for Night: Making the Movie”, “180°: A Conversation with Christopher Nolan and Al Pacino”, “In the Fog: Cinemtography and Production Design”, “Eyes Wide Open: The Insomniac’s World”), the theatrical trailer, an additional scene, and a still gallery. Insomnia’s release on blu-ray will mark the fifth of Nolan’s films to be released on the format. The only title awaiting a release is his 1998 film Following, although it may see Criterion release in the near future.
Pre-order the Insomnia blu-ray on Amazon!
Nolan Fans News
Posted on Monday, September 7th, 2009 at 10:58 pm by TeddyBlass
Teddy Blass, Alex Haas, and guest host, Cris Mertens, discuss recent front-page new stories: Inception‘s filming in Los Angeles, the possibility of Batman 3 being 100% IMAX, Filming in Tangier, and the DiCaprio diet rumor. The three also have a movie discussion – this week’s pick: Insomnia. Please note: This podcast includes minor spoilers for Inception, Insomnia, The Dark Knight, The Prestige, Moon, and Sphere. Beware of a little audio clipage – we just couldn’t keep our excitement down.
[Download the MP3 directly]
[Download via iTunes]
Nolan Fans News
Posted on Tuesday, March 17th, 2009 at 8:25 am by AlexHaas
We would like to proudly present to you, our newest addition to NolanFans, the Insomnia Screenshot Gallery. Insomnia was Christopher Nolan‘s third major film, released in 2002, it made nearly $115 million in box office sales. Featuring veteran LAPD detective Will Dormer, he is invited to Nightmute, Alaska to head a murder case. The film is both unique and exciting. Please enjoy our 56 screenshots of this film.
