'Inception' Goes IMAX

IMAX has scored another mature film: Chrisopher Nolan's follow-up to the cirtically acclaimed (but not by the Oscars) film "The Dark Knight."  That movie is "Inception," starring Leonardio DiCaprio, and the film has a budget someone could only get by making the second highest grossing film of all time.  This new film is a science fiction film.  You can see the trailer below.  I have to admit that I'm impressed with IMAX.  Though movies like this, "Where The Wild Things Are," and "Avatar" are helping make IMAX a legitimate experience for people who love more then documentaries and 3D family films.

More Inception Info

Snyder On Batman Rumor

When cornered at a "Watchmen" promotional event Zach Snyder, who was rumored to be a back-up director for the sequel to "The Dark Knight" should Chris Nolan passes on the project, had this to say...

So there you have it, it's just a rumor after all. Course I had my suspicions about this news from the beginning. Warner Bros. will be taking their time making the next Batman film. The last time they fast tracked a superhero film they got "Batman & Robin," and God knows they don't want to go THERE again!

Nolan To Pass On Batman 3?

Now before anyone freaks out about that headline keep this in mind: Yes, Nolan still has a gentleman's agreement with Warner Bros. to do the sequel to "The Dark Knight." He is currently writing the script for the third installment while he is preparing to shoot his first non-superhero film in awhile, "Inception." Part of the agreement Warner Bros. had with funding Nolan's new film is that he return for a third Batman film. Deals change though, and while I'm sure Nolan wouldn't simply pass up the third film before completing the trilogy he had in mind, just in case he does decide that he's had enough of the superhero world Warner Bros. has a backup: Zack Snyder, director of "300" and the upcoming "Watchmen" film.

This was reported by IGN who is hit or miss when it comes to these rumors, so don't start freaking out yet (or starting a petition that most likely wouldn't work anyway), this is just a rumor at the moment. It does make me wonder what a third Batman film would look like without Nolan though. Chances are the on-set locations would be replaced with green screen effects, and the villains would be even more out-of-this-world then usual. But even if this comes to pass keep in mind the silver lining: Even if Nolan doesn't direct there's a pretty solid chance his script will still be used with minor only minor changes made.

Online Film Critics Society Awards Winners

BEST PICTURE
WALL*E

BEST FOREIGN FILM
Let the Right One In

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Man On Wire

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
WALL*E

BEST DIRECTOR
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight

BEST ACTOR
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

BEST ACTRESS
Michelle Williams, Wendy and Lucy

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
WALL*E, Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Let the Right One In, John Ajvide Lindqvist

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Dark Knight, Wally Pfister

BEST EDITING
Slumdog Millionaire, Chris Dickens

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Dark Knight, James Newton Howard & Hans Zimmer

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Lina Leandersson, Let the Right One In

BREAKTHROUGH FILMMAKER
Tomas Alfredson, Let the Right One In

Keep an eye on "Wall-E": this is the movie that's going to upset one of the so-called "locked in" nominations.

Reaching for the stars.

Pearce Wants To Work With Nolan

It seems Guy Pearce wants to work with Christopher Nolan on the next Batman film. He gushes about "The Dark Knight" in this interview below. Butt-kissing certainly never hurt anyone before.

I Wonder What Warner Bros. Plans To Do With All That Money

"The Dark Knight" is going to pass the $500 million mark this weekend. That much is a given but that's not what I want to talk about. No, I want to talk about the movie as it's seen in IMAX. As with most IMAX theaters, my local theater didn't get this movie until today. I had seen it three times already so this would be my forth. I knew that twenty minutes of the movie was shot with IMAX camera's. What I didn't think of was how this could potentially affect the Best Director race. Right now everyone is talking about what Oscars "The Dark Knight" will be nominated for; Best Supporting Actor, Best Picture, Best Makeup...everything. And though Christopher Nolan is predicted to get a Best Director nomination I think he's going to actually win it.

Integrating the IMAX scenes in with the regular cinemascope was pure genius. Not only are the scenes edited together in ways that they aren't distracting, but they made the movie a THEATER experience above all else! In a world where plasma TV's and bright texting is hurting the theater, the direction of "The Dark Knight" actually makes the IMAX experience the best way to see this movie. I saw the movie with about ten people last night. Four had not seen the movie and of those four two had never been to IMAX. Well, once they saw this movie on IMAX they were sold. Not only did they plan to see it again, they started asking what the next films would be on IMAX. They were actually excited about this theater, and they knew the DVD would never match up to what they just saw.

As of right now Christopher Nolan has made the theater experience more profitable and more exciting then it's been in years. We know this movie is likely going to get a Best Picture nomination. We know Heath Ledger will win Best Supporting Actor. Well count me in on betting that even if the movie doesn't win the top prize, Christopher Nolan WILL win Best Director! Unless, of course, the Academy gives the award to Spike Lee as a way of apologizing for not nominating "Do The Right Thing" for Best Picture.

Christopher Nolan filming a scene with an IMAX camera.