Who's who in 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'

Although everybody is tight-lipped on plot details, the cast of the upcoming movie 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' keeps getting bigger, featuring “a good bit of cameos of new and familiar mutants.” Reprising his role as Logan aka Wolverine is Hugh Jackman. Set 17 years before the X-Men trilogy,the movie will focus on Wolverine's violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe.

The film is directed by Gavin ('Rendition') Hood and written by David ('The Kite Runner') Benioff.

Here's a look at the characters which will make their appearance in the movie:


Sabretooth (aka Victor Creed) will be played by actor Liev Schreiber. Both Sabretooth and Wolverine were victims of the supersoldier program called Weapon X. Sabretooth possesses bestial superhuman physical abilities, most notably a rapid healing factor, razor-sharp fangs and claws, and hyper senses. He is a vicious killer responsible for numerous deaths both as a paid mercenary and for his own, personal pleasure.


Silver Fox (aka Kayla Silverfox) will be played by fairly unknown actress Lynn Collins. Silver Fox is a member of the Blackfoot Native American tribe. She formed a serious relationship with Wolverine when they met in the Canadian Rockies.


William Stryker will be played by actor Danny Huston ('30 Days Of Night'). Stryker is a religious fanatic, with a military history which has connections to the Weapon X project


Agent Zero (aka David North aka Maverick) is played by American-Korean heartthrob Daniel Henney ('Seducing Mr Perfect'). Agent Zero, who has the power of absorbing kinetic energy through impact, was one of the mutant operatives that Weapon X experimented on. Agent Zero is also an expert tracker with lethal marksman skills.


John Wraith will be played by Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am. Wraith's power is teleportation. He also has a life-extending serum in his blood, due to his involvement in the Weapon X program


Gambit (aka Remy LeBeau) will be played by model and actor Taylor Kitsch ('The Covenant'). Gambit is a Cajun thief who is able to turn any object he touches into kinetic energy, forcing it to explode.


Beak (aka Blackwing aka Barnell Bohusk) will be played by Dominic Monaghan ('Lost'). Beak started developing his powers at puberty. His body changed into that of a humanoid-bird form. Beak wears an advanced body suit that gives him the ability to fly, superhuman strength, and energy blasts, as well as giving him enhanced protection.


Deadpool (aka Wade Wilson) will be played by Ryan Reynolds, better known for his role in the sitcom 'Two Guys, A Girl and A Pizza Place'. Deadpool is a sarcastic, scheming hero known for his wisecracks and black humor. Deadpool's abilities are man-made, derived from samples of Wolverine's mutation, but expanded to an almost limitless degree, allowing him to regenerate entire body parts, and even his entire body, making him effectively immortal.


The latest addition to the cast is Kevin Durand who will play The Blob (aka Fred Dukes). The most dominant physical trait of The Blob is obviously his size. The Blob possesses an extreme amount of pliable body mass, which grants him superhuman strength. He mostly uses his powers for petty crime.

***UPDATES***

Tim Pocock will play Scott Summers aka Cyclops.

Scott Adkins will play Weapon XI. Weapon XI will be featured in the end sequence fight scene against Wolverine. Scott Adkins is a British-born martial-arts actor who has appeared in movies like 'Unleashed' and 'The Medallion'.

Troye Sivan will play young Logan.

'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' is due for release on May 1, 2009.

And the winners are.....

Here are the winners of the 80th Academy Awards:

BEST PICTURE
No Country for Old Men

BEST ACTOR
Daniel Day Lewis, There Will Be Blood

BEST ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

BEST DIRECTOR
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Diablo Cody, Juno

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men

BEST FOREIGN MOVIE
Fälscher, Die (Austria)

BEST ANIMATED MOVIE
Ratatouille

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Atonement, Dario Marianelli

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Once ("Falling Slowly")

Where in the world is Osama bin Laden?

'Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?'

I wrote about this movie a while back in one of my post. Here's the trailer which has just been released. Very hilarious!

Where in the World is Osama bin Laden? : Trailer

The 'American Idol' controversy

As the 24 final contestants of American Idol Season 7 was announced last week, a new controversy has come to light.

Irish singer Carly Smithson (the one with the tattooed hand) is basically a professional singer. She recorded an album called Ultimate High with MCA Records in 2001 under her maiden name Carly Hennessy. Apparently MCA spent millions to promote the album, which turned out to be a complete flop. The record only sold 300 copies!

The latest news is that Carly was signed to MCA Records during the same time period that Randy Jackson was the senior VP. Carly was at MCA in 1999. Randy started at MCA in 1998 and was there for 4 years. The question on everybody's lips is whether she has been 'planted' by the producers.

(Closer to home, even our own Malaysian Idol, Jaclyn Victor, mentioned during a press interview that she was 'asked' by 8TV CEO Ahmad Izham Omar to enter the competition.)

The sad part is that Carly is not an exception this year. There are other contestants who are have failed careers.

Aussie Michael Johns (the one who brilliantly sang Bohemian Rhapsody during Hollywood Week) was formerly the lead singer of a band called The Rising and a band called Film. He also changed his name from Michael Lee. Michael was signed to Maverick Records with Film, and they were supposed to release a debut album in 2003. But according to reports, Michael allegedly screwed the band by stealing their songs and passing them off as his own.

Kristy Lee Cook (the kick-boxing gal) was previously "discovered" by Britney Spears. In 2005, Kristy Lee Cook released her debut CD “Devoted” under Ren-Hen Records. In 2007, Kristy got out of her contract with her manager Marty Rendleman (who formerly managed LeAnn Rimes) so she could be eligible to join American Idol.

Was anyone bothered that she sang 'Amazing Grace' during both the audition and the 2nd round of Hollywood week, and during the time when she sang some other song, the judges were not impressed. So basically she can only sing one song, and yet the judges put her through. Is she also one of the 'planted' contestants?

(Notice how the producers always portray the contestants as innocent, unprofessional singers living in a farm, working two jobs to support a family etc, but nobody thought to emphasize that they have already cut record deals before.)

Robbie Carrico (the blonde haired rocker with the beanie cap) is one of the four singers from the pop group Boyz N Girlz United. The band opened for Britney Spears and LFO before disbanding, and he was even one of Britney's first boyfriends. Robbie now fronts the band Missing Picket.

David Archuleta and Alexandrea Lushington were contestants in Star Search. David won the Junior Singer category of Star Search in 2003 when he was 12 years old. During Idol's first season, David met all of the finalists and even sang for Kelly Clarkson and the gang. A few days later, David met with a host of record labels and producers with connections to the show.

***UPDATES***
David Archuleta's dad, Jeff Archuleta runs a company call Arch Music Group which has "spent the last 5 years working with American Idol and Star Search performers as well as young up and coming singers and songwriters who want to compete in the top 40 arena." As if David didn't already have the previous connection where he met with Idol producers during season one, now his dad has been working with show contestants.

The latest news is that Syesha Mercado has appeared in a recent Ford Sync commercial. And of course Ford is one of the sponsors of American idol! Is there a connection there?

By the way, did anybody notice that a handful of the contestants have practically no exposure in the previous episodes. The producers managed to get through four long weeks of auditions and three whole hours of Hollywood Week without showing a single minute of Jason (Dreadlocks) Castro, Luke Menard, Garrett Haley, and Jason Yeager. Are they just selected as 'fillers' for the other contestants?

Of course there are contestants who have recorded albums and performed professionally before. But the question is whether these singers have been courted by the producers to participate in the show and probably got a free ticket into the final 24. Is it fair to the other contestants who had to go through the grueling 2-3 days audition process?

American Idol Season 7 Top 24 - Unmasked

Back Row L-R: Alexandrea Lushington, Robbie Carrico, Jason Castro, Danny Noriega (striped shirt), Brooke White, Amanda Overmyer, Michael Johns, David Cook (bandana), Luke Menard and Carly Smithson (standing far right).

Bottom Row L-R: Chikezie Eze, Colton Berry, Asia’H Epperson, Kady Malloy (seated, black dress), Joanne Borgella, Ramiele Malubay, David Hernandez (seated, front), Amy Davis, Alaina Whitaker, Syesha Mercado, Jason Yeager, David Archuleta (seated), Garrett Haley and Kristy Lee Cook.

Pictures and info courtesy of justjared.com.

American Idol Season 7 Top 24

Here's a teaser pic of the Top 24 contestants of American Idol Season 7. All of them are holding up Simon Cowell masks.


For those of you who can't wait for the results tomorrow, here's the list:

Top 12 Guys: Chikezie Eze, Colton Berry, Danny Noriega, David Archuleta, David Cook, David Hernandez, Garrett Haley, Jason Castro, Jason Yeager, Luke Menard, Michael Lee Johns and Robbie Carrico.

Top 12 Girls: Alaina Whitaker, Alex Lushington, Amanda Overmyer, Amy Davis, Asia'h Epperson, Brooke White, Carly Smithson, Joanne Borgella, Kady Malloy, Kristy Lee Cook, Ramiele Malubay and Syesha Mercado.

For more info on the contestants, you can visit the American Idol link here.

'Star Wars' is back!

Good news for all 'Star Wars' fans, 2008 will be seeing more of the series. This is the recent article from starwars.com:

A new era of Star Wars entertainment begins in 2008 when Star Wars: The Clone Wars, from creator George Lucas, premieres as an all-new feature film in August, followed by the television series debut in the fall, in a partnership announced today between Lucasfilm Ltd., Warner Bros. Pictures and Turner Broadcasting System Inc.

Produced by Lucasfilm Animation, Star Wars: The Clone Wars takes audiences on incredible new Star Wars adventures, combining the legendary storytelling of Lucasfilm with an eye-popping, signature animation style. Star Wars: The Clone Wars will open in North American theaters Friday, August 15. International release dates will be announced soon.

The theatrical debut of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is only the beginning of all-new Star Wars adventures that continue in the fall when the long-awaited television series premieres on Cartoon Network, followed by airings on TNT. Details regarding international broadcasts will be announced shortly. Star Wars: The Clone Wars showcases an entirely new look and feel to the galaxy far, far away -- combining the expansive scope of the Star Wars Saga with state-of-the-art computer-generated animation. Each week, viewers will see a thrilling, 30-minute "mini-movie" created by the talented artists at Lucasfilm Animation.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is set during the 3-year time period in which the Clone Wars occur — between events of Episode II and Episode III. The 'Clone Wars' is the name given to the major galactic conflict fought between the Galactic Republic (the bad guys) and the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS) (the good guys). The war was named after the clone troopers utilized by the Republic against the battle droid forces of the CIS.

Unbeknownst to most, the conflict was manipulated by the Sith Lord Darth Sidious (aka Senator Palpatine), whose ultimate goal was the transformation of the Republic into the Galactic Empire with him as Emperor as well as the eradication of the Jedi Order. The conflict would lead to the Sith Order becoming the dominant galactic government once again.

Happy Chinese New Year

Wishing all my readers a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year!!
May the new year bring lots of joy, peace and good fortune....
...and Happy movie-going :-)

Colin Farrell is a hitman

Colin Farrell stars as a hitman in the new comedy 'In Bruges'.

Bruges, the most well-preserved medieval city in the whole of Belgium, is a welcoming destination for travellers from all over the world. But for hitmen Ray and Ken (Farrell and Brendan Gleeson), it could be their final destination; they have been ordered to go Bruges to rest and lay low after a hit gone horribly wrong. Very much out of place amidst the gothic architecture, canals, and cobbled streets, the two men fill their days living the lives of tourists. They find themselves in weird encounters with locals, tourists, violent medieval art, a dwarf American actor shooting a European art film, Dutch prostitutes, and a potential romance for Ray in the form of Chloe, who may have some dark secrets of her own.


The movie comes out in April 4 2008.

Justin Timberlake is selling Pepsi

Justin Timberlake is appearing in a new commercial from Amazon.com and Pepsi. It's pretty cool and funny.

David Beckham is proud of his naked wife

Victoria Beckham is appearing nude on t-shirts for American fashion designer, Marc Jacobs in an initiative to raise awareness about skin cancer. Victoria (looking all tanned up...lol) is seen in the US$35 t-shirt that bears the slogan "Protect The Skin You’re In".


"Since we have moved to California, I have realized how important it is to practice safe sun for myself and to keep the skin of my three boys well protected as well," Victoria said. "Skin cancer is a huge problem and I really wanted to help raise awareness by taking part in Marc and Robert’s initiative." (yeah, right!)

Anyway it didn't take long before hubby David donned the shirt himself.

Photo scandal rocks HK entertainment industry

Variety Asia Online has just released the following press release:

HONG KONG (31 January 2008) – A series of obscene photographs that appeared online seemingly featuring various local celebrities has sent shock waves through the Hong Kong entertainment industry.

On Sunday, pictures of a young man and woman seemingly taken during sexual intercourse, appeared on a popular news discussion forum. Images bear close resemblance to Edison Chen, a Canadian-born Hong Kong singer and actor who has minor roles in Hollywood pics such as "The Grudge 2" and the upcoming "The Dark Knight," and Gillian Chung, one half of Hong Kong pop duo Twins.

The images were quickly removed from the site, but copies quickly circulated through email and were reposted to some 400 other Websites.

A day later more appeared. These seem to show Chen receiving oral sex from television actress Bobo Chan and others with Chen and Chung in different positions. Still others apparently showing award-winning movie actress Cecilia Cheung at Chen's apartment have slowly been released on various Internet forums in the following days.

Representatives of the stars in question insist the photos are doctored and are seeking legal advice. The Hong Kong Police say they are investigating two reported cases of publishing indecent materials on the Internet. Local papers reported that the Police are working with Interpol as well as Internet forum administrators and Internet service providers to provide information on users who have posted the photos.

Many in the Hong Kong biz have publicly denounced the pictures and their publication. The Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild calls the incident not only "tragic for the entertainment industry, but for all Hong Kong people. Such immoral behavior is poison to the minds of youth today."

The Guild is also calling for the government to take more action in curbing indecent and obscene behavior in the media. In 2006 naked photos of Chung taken in the changing room of a Kuala Lumpur concert venue appeared in a Hong Kong tabloid paper caused an uproar in the industry.

The photos of Chen and his 'conquests' have captured the attention of Hong Kong, with many people apparently trying to prove the authenticity of the photos. Although the more responsible newspapers are still describing the photos as 'doctored,' many experts and industry insiders believe the photos are unlikely to be fake.

The incident has political ramifications too. As Police have issued warnings that distribution of such photographs is likely to be in breach of the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance, which could carry a jail sentence and heavy fines, operators of Websites and Forums have moved quickly to delete pictures. But many sites have engaged in blatant self censorship and removed any discussion of the incident. That of course has got the free-speech brigade riled. "Nothing is allowed to be discussed, whatever happened to freedom of speech? When did Hong Kong become China?," one forum user asked.

Over the border in China distribution of the pics is spreading like wildfire, despite a recent SARFT initiative to crack down on Online obscenity. A file purportedly containing all the photos is reported to be being downloaded at the rate of 10,000 times a minute.

'Lost' is finally back

It has been more than six months since we saw the Season 3 finale of 'Lost'. The series is finally back. The 2-hour Season 4 premiere will kick off today in the US at 9pm ET/PT.

For those of you who have forgotten what happened previously, here's a video recap of the previous 3 seasons at YouTube.

For your info, due to the writers' strike, only 8 episodes have been completed so far out of the original 16 episodes planned.

'Forbidden Kingdom' posters

The following posters have just been released for the movie 'Forbidden Kingdom' starring Jet Li and Jackie Chan.






Shot on location in China, 'Forbidden Kingdom' marks the historic first-ever on-screen pairing of martial arts superstars Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and features the awe-inspiring action choreography of Yuen Wo Ping.

The story is about a modern-day American teenager, Jason (Michael Angarano - 'Sky High', 'Black Irish') who gets sent back in time to ancient China. There, Jason is charged with a monumental task: he must free the fabled warrior the Monkey King, who has been imprisoned by the evil Jade Warlord. Jason is joined in his quest by wise kung fu master Lu Yan (Jackie Chan) and a band of misfit warriors including Silent Monk (Jet Li).

The movie will be released on April 18th, 2008.

'Hud' on location in Cloverfield

After a show at The Slipper Room in New York City's Lower East Side, comedian/actor TJ Miller (better known to everybody as 'Hud') steps outside and points out locations from the blockbuster monster movie, 'Cloverfield', to his friends.

'Hud' on location in Cloverfield

Will Smith is an alcoholic superhero

This summer, Will Smith is back to form in then new comedy 'Hancock'. In the movie, Smith plays an alcoholic superhero despised by everyone. Edgy, conflicted, sarcastic, and misunderstood, Hancock’s well-intentioned heroics might get the job done and save countless lives, but always seem to leave jaw-dropping damage in their wake. The public has finally had enough - as grateful as they are to have their local hero, the good citizens of Los Angeles are wondering what they ever did to deserve this guy.

One day that he saves the life of PR executive Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), and the sardonic superhero begins to realize that he may have a vulnerable side after all. Facing that will be Hancock’s greatest challenge yet - and a task that may prove impossible as Ray’s wife, Mary (Charlize Theron), insists that he’s a lost cause. The superhero eventually begins an affair with Mary.

'Hancock' is directed by Peter Berg (The Kingdom, Friday Night Lights). The movie rolls out in theaters on July 2.

You can watch the trailer here:
http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/hancock/

Postnote:

For the editors of AMBP, here's the answer to your questions:
i) Will Smith plays the eponymous character in the movie Hancock.
ii) In a bid to save a whale, Hancock heaves it out to sea, only to see it smash a sailboat.

Bond 22

The 22nd installment in the Bond series has finally got a title - 'Quantum of Solace'. The title is based on one of Ian Fleming's short story in the For Your Eyes Only compendium. However, producers and writers have mentioned that the story will be original. Producer Barbara Broccoli says it accurately sums up Bond's inner turmoil with regards to Vesper, who betrayed him in 'Casino Royale'.

The movie picks up minutes after the close of 'Casino Royale' and will be a continuation of the story established in 'Casino Royale'. Here's the full synopsis:

Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, Bond (DANIEL CRAIG) fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M (JUDI DENCH) interrogate Mr White (JESPER CHRISTENSEN) who reveals the organisation which blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined.

Forensic intelligence links an Mi6 traitor to a bank account in Haiti where a case of mistaken identity introduces Bond to the beautiful but feisty Camille (OLGA KURYLENKO), a woman who has her own vendetta. Camille leads Bond straight to Dominic Greene (MATHIEU AMALRIC), a ruthless business man and major force within the mysterious organisation.

On a mission that leads him to Austria, Italy and South America, Bond discovers that Greene, conspiring to take total control of one of the world’s most important natural resources, is forging a deal with the exiled General Medrano (JOAQUIN COSIO). Using his associates in the organisation, and manipulating his powerful contacts within the CIA and the British government, Greene promises to overthrow the existing regime in a Latin American country, giving the General control of the country in exchange for a seemingly barren piece of land.

In a minefield of treachery, murder and deceit, Bond allies with old friends in a battle to uncover the truth. As he gets closer to finding the man responsible for the betrayal of Vesper, 007 must keep one step ahead of the CIA, the terrorists and even M, to unravel Greene’s sinister plan and stop his organisation.

The movie will be directed by Marc Foster whose credits include 'Monster's Ball', 'Finding Neverland', 'Stranger Than Fiction' and the critically acclaimed 'The Kite Runner'.

'Quantum of Solace' is currently in production and is tentatively scheduled to be released on 7 November 2008.

Here are some pictures from the recent press conference of 'Quantum of Solace'.

Daniel Craig and the Bond girls - Olga Kurylenko (l) and Gemma Arterton (r)

Mathieu Amalric, Olga Kurylenko, Daniel Craig, Gemma Arterton

Michael G, Gemma Arterton, Mathieu Amalric, Olga Kurylenko, Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Marc Foster, Barbara Broccoli

JJ Abrams' next movie

After the tremendous success of 'Cloverfield', producer JJ Abrams has started working on his next project. The following article comes from MoviesOnline:

JJ Abrams' monster movie Cloverfield destroyed the box office over the weekend and JJ is no fool... he's already begun work on his next as of yet Untitled film. Once again he has tapped a relatively unknown director to helm the project while he sits as Executive Producer. Joshua Marston will direct the project which is being called a Supernatural Thriller.

Just like what happened previously for 'Cloverfield', details of this new movie are being kept under wraps. I hope he comes up with a superb marketing campaign for the movie. As of now, we just have to sit and wait patiently.

The movie is set to be released in 2009.

Secrets of CLOVERFIELD Revealed

I have been putting off writing a review for 'Cloverfield' since I saw the movie last week. I mean what else can I write about the movie that dozens of other reviewers have not written. Some critics have even gone as far as calling JJ Abrams a genius. As for me, I believe this is the most brilliant and imaginative movie I have ever seen in a long time.

The ingenuity of 'Cloverfield' is not only in the movie itself ... it's the whole viral marketing campaign surrounding it. If you go in the theaters expecting to see a Godzilla-like movie, you will be greatly disappointed. There are so many hidden messages and stories outside of the movie which gives a more in-depth explanation of the storyline. The downside is that the campaign gives the internet-savvy fans a much more entertaining experience than those who have not checked out the history or participated in the fun.

Based on research from various other websites, I have come up with a summary which will try to explain the 'Cloverfield' story in more detail.

(*Spoilers alert*)

Slusho is a fictional Japanese soft drink company which makes the Slusho! icee drink. The secret ingredient in Slusho is something called Seabed's Nectar. This ingredient was discovered on the deep ocean floor, under amazing pressure and in the most extreme cold.


Interestingly enough, this is the company that Rob is going to work for as Vice-President when he goes to Japan. You might not have noticed it, but during Rob's farewell party, Jason was actually wearing a Slusho t-shirt. (See picture above.)


Tagruato is a fictional Japanese oil drilling company. It is also the parent company of Slusho. A press release on Tagruato's website mentions that a debris have fallen off of the Japanese Government 'ChimpanzIII' satellite. Tagruato's scientists and engineers are assisting to track and recover the fragment. According to data, the satellite piece disappeared into the Atlantic Ocean.


This ties in to what was shown at the end of the movie. When the film cuts back to the footage of Rob and Beth in Coney Island at the end of the movie, the camera pans over towards the ocean. On the right hand side of the screen, it looks like something fell into the water and made a splash. That was the satellite debris! (See picture above.)

Apparently, the monster was buried in the mid-Atlantic ridge millions of years ago. While searching for the satellite, they woke up the monster.


Now going back to Slusho, the ingredient (ie. the nectar) which makes Slusho has signs of steroid drug-like effects, hence explaining how the monster came to be. And also recall how Marlena was bleeding profusely from the bites and she finally exploded.

T.I.D.O Wave is a environmental activist organization which is fighting against Tagruato because they claim Tagruato’s research and practices are destroying the oceans. One of the comments posted on the website mentions that Tagruato has found something during one of their deep-sea drilling experiments. "Something that nobody wants people to ever know about, and something that if people were to find out about it, they most definitely would NOT be happy."


Chuai station, which lies in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean (very near to New York), is believed to 'harbor a dark secret' implying that Tagruato is already aware of the existence of the monster and that the station was built for some purpose related to it. When Chouai station was destroyed and sank, Tagruato suspected that it was sabotaged by Tidowave.

At the end of the credits of the movie, an audio cackles from the videocam which sounded like "Help us". But when played backwards, it says, "It's still alive!".

The following is the link to the MySpace pages of the movie characters. This is part of the marketing campaign and had been created to introduce each character:

Rob Hawkins
Jason Hawkins
Jamie Lascano
Lily Ford
Beth McIntyre
Marlena Diamond
Hudson 'Hud' Platt

I have found a very interesting in-depth look at the marketing of Cloverfield titled The Tale of Two Cloverfield Campaigns.

***UPDATES***
Jamie Lascano, one of Lily's friend, has been posting videos online for her boyfriend, Teddy at her website jamieandteddy.com. The password to the website is jllovesth. If you remember the movie, Jamie was the drunken, passed out girl on the couch at the party.


A few months ago, she fell in love with Teddy and started posting video messages online to him. There are 11 videos posted on the website. After the first few videos, Teddy stopped calling Jamie and hasn’t been answering her messages. We find out that Teddy has been investigating the Tagruato corporation and their drilling operations. In Video #5, we see Jamie opening a gift that Teddy has left her - a Slusho hat and a mysterious substance with the label "Primary Evidence - Jamie, don’t eat this". In a recording, Teddy tells Jamie that if she receives his message, that means that he’s been abducted by Tagruato. Unfortunately, Jamie, thinking it’s Teddy’s way of dumping her. She does not heed the warning and proceeds to eat the substance. The remaining videos show Jamie acting strangely, seemingly affected by what she ate. In the last video, Jamie gets ready to go to "this thing that Lily put together" - referring to Rob's farewell party.

***UPDATES***
Originally, 'Cloverfield' was just a codename for the untitled movie, derived from the name of a street that JJ Abrams has an office near. However the name stuck when everybody on the internet started referring to the movie as 'Cloverfield'.

***UPDATES***
A four-part prequel manga titled Cloverfield: Kishin was released by Japanese publisher Kadokawa Shoten between Jan and May 2008. The story centers around two teenagers, Kishin Aiba and Aiko Sasahara, trying to find out more about an incident in what may seem to be the events before the Chuai incident and the New York City attack.

More recently, director Matt Reeves explained in a USA Today article that - within the context of the story itself - 'Cloverfield' is the codename of the military operation dispatched to battle the monster.

Nominations for the 80th Annual Academy Awards

Here are some of the nominations for the 2008 Academy Awards. Winners to be announced on Sunday, February 24th.

BEST PICTURE
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton

BEST ACTOR
Daniel Day Lewis, There Will Be Blood
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Viggo Mortenson, Eastern Promises
Tommy Lee Jones, In The Valley of Elah

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie, Away From Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose
Laura Linney, The Savages
Ellen Page, Juno

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War
Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
Ruby Dee, American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone

BEST DIRECTOR
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Jason Reitman, Juno
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Diablo Cody, Juno
Nancy Oliver, Lars and the Real Girl
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Ratatouille (written by Brad Bird; story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird)
Tamara Jenkins, The Savages

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Christopher Hampton, Atonement
Sarah Polley, Away from Her
Ronald Harwood, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood

BEST FOREIGN MOVIE
Fälscher, Die (Austria)
Beaufort (Israel)
Mongol (Kazakhstan)
Katyn (Poland)
12 (Russia)

BEST ANIMATED MOVIE
Persepolis
Ratatouille
Surf's Up

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Atonement, Dario Marianelli
The Kite Runner, Alberto Iglesias
Michael Clayton, James Newton Howard
Ratatouille, Michael Giacchino
3:10 to Yuma, Marco Beltrami

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
August Rush ("Raise It Up")
Enchanted ("Happy Working Song")
Enchanted ("So Close")
Enchanted ("That's How You Know")
Once ("Falling Slowly")