Closed-Captioning Glasses for the Deaf being Distributed to Regal Cinemas
Going to the theater is a great experience. Outside of the comfortability of watching movies on your couch in your pajamas, nothing can really beat going to a theater, watching a movie on the big screen, and being surrounded by large speakers that make you feel like you're actually in the scene. Theaters have always tried to better enhance the moviegoing experience for audiences, such as the implementation of D-Box seats which move and react to the scene on the screen, simulating explosions, car crashes, etc. Unfortunately, theaters haven't been able to find a way to complement the basic experience of simply going to the theater for hearing-impaired audiences.
...until now. By the end of the month, more than 6,000 Regal Cinemas across the country will carry special closed-captioning glasses. The Sony Entertainment Access Glasses will sync to the digital projectors and display closed captions on the glasses, fitting properly beneath the image on the screen. The glasses also come equipped with headphones for personal volume control, as well as an additional audio channel the visually-impaired can switch to for detailed descriptions of the movie.
You can click below to see a visual example of how the glasses work, as well as an introduction video created by Regal Cinemas. You can also determine which theaters and movies support the Sony Entertainment Access Glasses on Regal's official website.
http://youtu.be/OsckbFwU2SQ
[via Flixist]
[Trailer] Ghost in the Shell: Arise
http://youtu.be/7ezZoUYWRl4
Ghost in the Shell is one of those seminal anime films that appeals to people that don't really like anime. The 1995 cyberpunk film dealt with an advanced technological world where people were able to connect into robotic bodies (known as shells) with superhero-like powers on a network similar to the internet. A police assault squad is dispatched to investigate a hacker that has been essentially hacking people's shells.
Ghost in the Shell: Arise is the first part of a four part prequel film series that dives into the history of New Port City. The DVD/Blu-Ray is set to release on July 26th worldwide. You can watch the first trailer for Arise below, as well as read an official synopsis for the story.
In 2027, one year after the end of the Fourth Non-Nuclear War, the guttural town of New Port City is plagued with one mass tragedy after another. Enter Public Security Section's Daisuke Aramaki to lead an investigation along with Batou better known to the criminal scourge as "the man with the eye that does not sleep." Running parallel to this investigation is the military's clandestine 501st Secret Unit, which happens to count Motoko Kusanagi, the cyborg, wizard-level hacker amongst its many members. Also investigating these events is the Niihama Prefectural Police detective Togusa. When all three investigations cross paths, secrets will be revealed and terrible truths unearthed.
[via Comic Book Movie]
[Trailer] Gravity
http://youtu.be/ufsrgE0BYf0
Alfonso Cuaron is one of those directors who, I feel, hasn't really received the proper dues he should from audiences. Sure, Y Tu Mama Tambien won a handful of awards and nominated for an Oscar, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban pushed the Harry Potter film franchise towards a more mature vision (let alone a decidedly creative turn that sometimes clashed with the previous two films in the series), and Children of Men is arguably one of the most underrated sci-fi films to come out of the past decade. Still, Cuaron isn't as well-known as some of his contemporaries for reasons unexplained.
Hopefully, that will change this October when his next film, Gravity, hits theaters. In the first trailer, which you can watch below, two astronauts played by film favorites George Clooney and Sandra Bullock embark on a mission to space. Ironically, what is Dr. Ryan Stone's (Sandra Bullock) first shuttle mission is intended to be Matt Kowalsky's (George Clooney) last. During a routine spacewalk, their shuttle inexplicably explodes, stranding the two out in space with no means of communication.
Frankly, I'm extremely excited for Gravity. It's shaping out to be a cerebral thriller that is more focused on human survival instincts rather than some supernatural entity, let alone a distinct antagonist/enemy. It'll be interesting to see how general audiences react to the film, especially considering the combination of two Hollywood-friendly faces with Clooney and Bullock with Cuaron's vision. Let the speculation begin!
Jurassic Park 4 production halted
Just when it was thought that the future of the Jurassic Park franchise was safe, we're reminded that nothing's ever really safe in Hollywood. The 3D re-release of Jurassic Park, which has made more than $53m worldwide, was intended to re-integrate the fantastical park that brought dinosaurs back to life into audiences' memories. However, it's been recently confirmed that production for the next proper entry into the franchise, the creatively-titled Jurassic Park 4, has been halted.
Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed) was set to take over the director's chair from Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park) and Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III). No other plot details nor casting decisions were revealed (let alone even made). However, the news isn't completely negative. According to the official statement released by Universal (which you can read below), it seems that the production delay is due to simply wanting to devote more time to the film rather than a lack of faith in Trevorrow. Like all bad news, the initial shock stings, but hopefully it all will be worth it later on. After all, if there's anything Hollywood needs more of, it's dinosaurs.
In coordination with filmmakers, Universal has decided to release Jurassic Park 4 at a later date giving the studio and filmmakers adequate time to bring audiences the best possible version of the fourth installment in Universal’s beloved franchise. We could not be more excited about the vision that Colin Trevorrow has created for this film, and we look forward to watching as he and the producers create another great chapter in this franchise’s storied history.
[via /Film]
[Trailer] The World's End
http://youtu.be/n__1Y-N5tQk
The first trailer for Edgar Wright's (Shaun of the Dead) next film, The World's End, appeared overnight like a Christmas morning present. The trailer for the film, which I listed as one of the Top 10 Summer '13 Movies, sheds some light on the story. Desperate to finish a pub crawl they never had a chance to 20 years prior, Gary (Simon Pegg) reunites with his friends Andy (Nick Frost), Steven (Paddy Considine), Oliver (Martin Freeman), and Peter (Eddie Marsan) to have a pint of beer at the 12 pubs in the fictional Newton Haven. However, they soon discover that things aren't as they seem, as the community is filled with questionable characters.
Watch the trailer below, which is full of beers, ridiculously talented British actors, and Nick Frost punching people with bar stools as boxing gloves. The World's End will be ending worlds in theaters on August 23rd.
[Trailer] Ender's Game
http://youtu.be/vP0cUBi4hwE
2013 is shaping up to be a big year for science-fiction films. The latest to find itself added to this list is the film adaptation of Orson Scott Card's sci-fi novel, Ender's Game. Directed and written by Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Ender's Game involves humanity searching for a new military leader amongst its children following an alien attack. When Ender Wiggin easily passes all of the challenges at the Battle School, he finds himself promoted to the Command School, as well as named to be humanity's new hope against the alien Formics.
The ensemble cast stars Asa Butterfield (Hugo), Harrison Ford (Star Wars), Abigail Breslin (Zombieland), Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit), and Ben Kingsley (Iron Man 3). You can watch the special effects-heavy trailer below. Ender's Game is scheduled to hit theaters on November 1st.