When you attend a press junket, you never know where and when you’re going to land a scoop.  Sometimes you get a great story during a roundtable interview, and other times you’re sharing an elevator ride with the director of “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” and you ask him about the DVD.  Which is what happened to me today.

On my way to do an interview with producer Wyck Godfrey, I happened to run into director Chris Weitz.  Since I didn’t have a chance to ask a question during the press conference, I used my shared elevator ride to find out what extras would be on the DVD and how many minutes of deleted scenes “Twilight” fans could expect.  While he confirmed the usual stuff like a commentary with Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, the big news is he told me there would be around ten minutes of deleted scenes.  More after the jump:

From the way Weitz spoke, I believe the DVD is going to have the deleted scenes placed back into the scene so you can watch the full scene play and not just see the stuff that was cut out.  I’m not sure if the movie will be an extended edition, or if the deleted scenes will be in a separate area of the disc.  I’m sure we’ll hear about that soon enough.

The big news for fans is you’re going to get ten extra minutes whenever the DVD/Blu-ray gets released.

Here’s my conversation with Chris Weitz.  Due to the short amount of time, I was unable to find out exactly what was cut out.

Collider: What can we expect on the New Moon DVD?

Chris Weitz: On the DVD there will be some deleted scenes, there will be a commentary with me and I think Kristen, Rob and Taylor at the same time, and some making of and behind the scenes type stuff.

My big question is how many minutes of deleted scenes?

Weitz: I think it’s around twenty.

Is there really going to be that many minutes?

Weitz: Yeah, but sometimes it’s just showing a whole scene with bits that have been cut out. There is not like twenty minutes of stuff thrown out.  It’s like here is the fully expanded scene.

Here’s my question….the Twilight fans are obsessed with seeing stuff they haven’t seen before. So how many minutes do you think of footage that’s not in the theater would be on the DVD/Blu-ray?

Weitz: I’d say a good ten minutes of groovy stuff they haven’t seen.

So why did you cut it?

Weitz: The running time of the film and the cadence of how I wanted the film to play.

While I never post studio provided interviews, when you’re dealing with a property like “The Twilight Saga: New Moon”, you make exceptions.  Also, I know some of you “Twilight” fans and you want to see EVERYTHING.

Here’s what you need to know: when actors are on set and filming a movie, at some point they do generic interviews for the eventual EPK (electronic press kit).  Meaning some studio intern or production assistant asks the most basic questions and the actor answers them.  They’re not exactly hard hitting interviews. But, like I said, you “Twilight” fans want to see everything and I aim to please.  So after the jump you can watch the studio provided on set interviews with Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner.

Kristen Stewart On Set Interview

Robert Pattinson On Set Interview

Taylor Lautner On Set Interview

–

With “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” getting ready to hit theaters on November 20th, Summit Entertainment has released an EPK for the media to use.  If you’re not familiar with the term EPK, it stands for Electronic Press Kit.  An EPK is where the studio puts movie clips, trailers, and behind the scenes footage from whatever movie they’re promoting.

Anyway, I’ve taken the movie clips Summit released, as well as all the behind the scenes footage, and posted two videos after the jump.  While the three clips have already been released over the past two weeks, the ten minutes of behind the scenes footage is all new.  So if you’ve been waiting for “Twilight: New Moon”, you’ll really enjoy the footage of Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner on set.  Take a look after the jump:

Finally, while I’d love to say what I thought about “New Moon”, an embargo is preventing me from writing any thoughts.  Saying that, I’m free to post all the interviews I did with the cast and the filmmakers.  As you may have already seen on the front page of the site, the onslaught has begun.

Here’s the synopsis:

In the second installment of Stephenie Meyer’s phenomenally successful “Twilight” series, the romance between mortal and vampire soars to a new level as Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) delves deeper into the mysteries of the supernatural world she yearns to become part of-only to find herself in greater peril than ever before.

Following Bella’s ill-fated 18th birthday party, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and his family abandon the town of Forks, Washington, in an effort to protect her from the dangers inherent in their world. As the heartbroken Bella sleepwalks through her senior year of high school, numb and alone, she discovers Edward’s image comes to her whenever she puts herself in jeopardy. Her desire to be with him at any cost leads her to take greater and greater risks.

With the help of her childhood friend Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), Bella refurbishes an old motorbike to carry her on her adventures. Bella’s frozen heart is gradually thawed by her budding relationship with Jacob, a member of the mysterious Quileute tribe, who has a supernatural secret of his own.

When a chance encounter brings Bella face to face with a former nemesis, only the intervention of a pack of supernaturally large wolves saves her from a grisly fate, and the encounter makes it frighteningly clear that Bella is still in grave danger. In a race against the clock, Bella learns the secret of the Quileutes and Edward’s true motivation for leaving her. She also faces the prospect of a potentially deadly reunion with her beloved that is a far cry from the one she’d hoped for. With more of the passion, action and suspense that made “Twilight” a worldwide phenomenon, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” is a spellbinding follow-up to the box office hit.

NOTE: We are getting a lot of traffic right now.  We’re working on getting get more streams for the videos.

3 Movie Clips

B-Roll - Behind the Scenes Footage

-

[[Show as slideshow]]

Earlier today, the massive Los Angeles press junket for Summit Entertainment’s “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” began.  All weekend the cast is going to be doing tons of interviews and I’d imagine you’re going to be reading the coverage on every website you follow.  So rather than wait till the week of release, I’m going to be jumping in head first and posting what was said as fast as I can get it done.  And up first… Kristen Stewart.

While at last year’s press junket for the first “Twilight” film, I got the sense that the massive worldwide interest was a bit much for this talented young actress.  But, on stage today, she not only handled the media like a pro, she seemed a lot more comfortable being closely associated with Bella Swan.  In fact, she seemed really happy to be talking about the movie.  So if you’d like to read or listen to what Kristen Stewart had to say about “New Moon”, hit the jump and take a look:

As always, you can either read a transcript of the press conference or listen to the audio by clicking here.

Finally, while I’d love to write what I thought about the movie as I saw it last night, Summit Entertainment has given us a strict embargo.  Sorry.

Question: A year ago when we talked to you seemed to be a shy, sensitive young actor. How has this past year been for you in terms of this nonstop thing on ‘New Moon’ and you and Rob Pattinson?

Stewart: I think I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with talking about myself and knowing that what you say people are really going to take into consideration and that always intimidated me so much that I minced every word that came out of my mouth. I couldn’t finish a sentence because I was so concerned about how it was going to sound. I didn’t want to come across insincere about something that I really love to do. So I realized that instead of refraining from saying I’ve put my heart and soul into this thing and I love it, that’s what I should’ve said instead of, like the really logical, over analytical reason why I love it. You just do. I’ve gotten more comfortable with. The whole rumor, tabloid stuff, it’s so obviously false to me. Look, even before I became a part of it, once I sort of became a star…it’s like a show. It’s like a ridiculous show.

Question: A soap opera with your name in it?

Stewart: Exactly. With false realism like a soap opera that seems real but you’re not quite sure. It doesn’t bother me. I don’t take it personally. Luckily, because I’ve had so much experience it’s gotten easier to talk about the work.

Question: What about the work on this one?

Stewart: I had a really good time on this movie. It was intense. Just because of the nature of the story it goes in a completely different direction. We undermine the first. We establish a very ideological of love and basically tell our main character, our main protagonist that she was wrong and it’s like, ‘Where’s our story?’ You’re going to be left if Edward’s not there. What I really love about ‘New Moon’ is that you see this girl build herself back up and by the time she makes this sort of rash decision to spend eternity with a vampire she’s in a position where you actually believe her. You’re like, ‘Okay, you’re old enough, your mature enough to know. You’ve lived life.’ She grows up. I don’t know what I’m talking about anymore.

Question: What has been like working with Bryce Dallas Howard?

Stewart: Really good. Bryce is scary. She’s really oddly sweet as well. So it’s funny to see her switch back and forth, but Victoria for Bella is like an ever present fear. Even when Victoria isn’t around she’s scared that she’s coming back. Bryce is such a good actress and it was easy to be scared of her.

Question: Can you talk about breaking in your new director? How did you work with Chris Weitz?

Stewart: Chris has everything. I think to be a good director you have to be a good person and you have to care about people. I don’t know a more compassionate human being. I couldn’t have done this unless I had such a believable environment, a comfortable and safe environment to be so vulnerable in. He provided that tenfold. He’s one of the coolest, one of the smartest and funniest guys I know. He really loves the project as well. He wasn’t just jumping on the next big thing. So it wasn’t about breaking him in at all. He only helped make everything better. He made everything what it is. He’s incredible. I love him.

Question: Did he give you guys any guidance when he came in? How did that work?

Stewart: Chris did a very different thing that I’ve never had a director do. He put together, it’s like a syllabus almost of what we were supposed to achieve and how he was going to make it easier for everyone, sort of an introduction to how he likes to work. It didn’t only introduce the idea of collaboration, it was like inviting everyone onto this project and saying, ‘Please, everyone love it, and please, everyone be invested and work hard.’ It was very encouraging. It also had technical aspects of how he was so sorry that so much of the movie was going to be CGI stuff that we were going to have to react to but that he was always going to make us aware of what we were acting with, that he was never going to leave us high and dry. A lot of the FX movies are hard to do because you don’t know what you’re reacting to. So he had a full rundown of how he planned on making the movie. Most directors are like, ‘Have you put together notes for our meeting?’ It’s like, ‘No. That’s your job.’ So he’s amazing. I love him.

Question: Taylor Lautner is emerging from this movie as a huge star. If you could wipe the slate clean and made a decision do you really think that she wouldn’t have gone with fine, old Jacob?

Stewart: I know, trust me. I feel you completely.

Question: Can you talk about working with Taylor because he did an incredible job in the face of controversy going into the movie?

Stewart: I think that controversy has probably been like made bigger than it was. We needed to be sure that whoever played Jacob was going to be Jacob in ‘New Moon’. He’s such a different person. He becomes a man. There’s an entire [thing]. It’s not just a physical transformation. He really becomes an adult. I mean I always knew that Taylor could do that but we just needed to make sure because it was so important. So once he actually proved himself which wasn’t hard to do, even seeing him walk around on set was like a different experience. He’s literally become a different person. He’s just grown up. He’s so confident and the nicest guy that I’ve ever met. I know that I’m using this grammatically incorrect but he’s the funnest guy I’ve ever hung out with. So he’s great. I’m so proud of him.

Question: These films have come out so fast, one after the other. Can you talk about the intensity of that and also if you think you’ll remember all of it in five years?

Stewart: There’s already a lot of stuff that I have to say, ‘Okay, Kristen, be here. Experience it. Make sure that this isn’t another fleeting situation that you’re going to barely remember.’ You have to force yourself to sort of be present but I feel like the fact that I have the opportunity to pick and choose moments that I want to remember and I have to focus on remembering cool moments, that only tells you that I literally have an influx of them. I’ve had the coolest two years and I’m so lucky.

Question: What’s it like to work in Vancouver since you’ve been there for a while now? Do you have a home, favorite hang outs, what do you like to do there?

Stewart: I love Vancouver. When we’re doing the ‘Twilight’ series there I don’t get to go out as much as I’d like to. I’m also sort of a boring person. I really don’t go out to bars and stuff a whole lot unless it’s an event. It’s a beautiful place to be.

Question: What are your favorite spots in the city?

Stewart: I just like being outside there. I don’t have favorite spots. The climate is so different from what I’m used to. I don’t really have any favorite spots. I really don’t.

Question: Did you actually get to ride the motorcycle and if so were you into it and how do you feel about the bike?

Stewart: I’m definitely never going to be a biker. The idea of riding, I mean I’m scared of cars so the idea of riding a motorcycle is just never going to be something that I’m into. I was towed ridiculously. I was on the back of this truck and I probably looked funny doing it. Taylor rode motorcycles really well. There’s this one part that’s sort of undeniably him. He rides up and skids. I left that to him. I wasn’t about to do that. I don’t even think that they would let me necessarily. They would have more faith in Taylor to do that.

Question: Would you ride on the back with a guy though?

Stewart: Yeah. I did that. I did that and I didn’t like it. It’s so precarious. I don’t know if you’ve been on one but it literally feels like you’re going to fly off of it. I’m not into that.

Question: What do you find the most rewarding part of being involved in something so popular and what are some of the challenging parts of that?

Stewart: I think my favorite thing about this is the fact that I can keep it personal. It’s still something that if the franchise,  if the saga didn’t become a franchise and it was literally was just a series of movies that I had done they would mean just as much to me. That’s also the best part of it, the fact that it isn’t like that, the fact that so many people are affected by it and are invested in it just as much as me if not more. Like I said about Chris, if you don’t like people and if you don’t want to make movies because you care about people then you probably are just wanting to be just rich and famous. So the fact that this is so important to so many people makes me so happy. That’s it. I think that’s it.

Question: Having such an avid fan base where and how do you draw the line between what the public wants to know about your private life?

Stewart: Right. I don’t know. I don’t think that anyone can get a handle [on that]. It’s like as soon as I stopped trying to control everything that came out of my mouth and every picture that came out, that’s when I became so much happier and it was so much easier to deal with. It wasn’t like it was a turning point. I’ve just grown into not having to care so much and to not try to think that I’m going to be able to plan out the way that everyone perceives me. There are no false impressions. Everyone’s impression of you is going to be what it is in that isolated moment. It’s people not considering where you are in that moment when you give that impression. I’m fine with that. I’m going to own what I’m going to own and literally…I should just stop trying to control what’s coming out of my mouth. I’m always going to keep what’s important to me in mind and I completely understand considering that we’re playing characters that are so coveted by so many people so I get why they want to know more about us and they want us to be together and all of that. I just sort of have to not think about it.

Question: How did filming in Italy add to the romance of your character?

Stewart: The fact that we didn’t have to be on a set and we were really in Italy, it makes it so much easier to immerse yourself in this world. It was so cool that we got to go to Italy and that we didn’t have to fake it. I think it really did add - I’m totally taking Chris’s words right now - a scope to the film that wouldn’t otherwise be there. To go from Forks to Italy is such a stark contrast and romantic just in the idea of it. So then to be there and feel it, of course it helps to have the real environment.

Question: Can you talk about the breakup scene with Edward and how emotional it was to do that? I know a lot of young girls in the audience last night were crying.

Stewart: Oh, that’s good. That was the scariest thing. I was almost as worried about messing it up than I was about what I actually should have been thinking about which was the issues that Bella is dealing with. Reading it, it’s so inconic. There’s nothing like that moment in reality even. It’s not even like a normal breakup scene. I know what’s it like to get broken up with but I don’t know what it’s like to get broken up with by a vampire who I’ve now been physically and chemically altered by. Suddenly you take an addict, you take whatever they’re addicted to away from them and there’s withdrawal. So that was the most intimidating scene in the entire movie. I don’t know how to explain how I did it. Chris really helped me out. It was just about talking. I don’t know. It was just about talking to him and reading the book and I had no other actors play off. I mean, the breakup scene that I did with Rob, that’s not where it happens yet. That’s not where I was intimidated. That was still, like she doesn’t even believe it yet. It’s when he goes, the absence of him that I was scared of. I was like, ‘How am I going to by myself in the woods with a hundred guys standing around me, filming me, die?’ Basically, literally having the equivalent of like a death scene but stay alive and get up and keep walking. It was hard. It was really intimidating. I still don’t know. I’ve seen the movie. I really like the movie but I don’t know if anyone ever really would’ve been able to bring that to life the way that Stephenie [Meyer] writes it.

Question: Other than that were there any other challenging scenes or moments for you?

Stewart: This for me is the most difficult, I won’t say hardest…I want to define it a little bit more. Bella is so sure all the time and this is the one movie where she’s actually baffled and totally like, ‘I don’t know.’ It’s weird to play Bella like that because she’s so not like that. That was difficult. I can’t think of a particular scene. It was really hard to go back and forth because you don’t shoot a movie in sequence, obviously. I had to do stuff with Jacob where I was alive and happy and out of this depression thing and then after lunch go back and scream in my bed for six hours. So that was difficult.

Question: What’s the craziest thing that you’ve had happen to you with this fans since starting this?

Stewart: The funniest thing in the world just happened to me in Brazil. I’ve had a lot of really varying experiences. Some absolutely touching and overwhelming and daunting. Some just like crazy. Then sometimes they’re really funny. I was in Brazil and me and Taylor went to Latin America this time and Rob was in Japan. That’s just how it goes sometimes. We’re sent all over and it means nothing who we’re with. This guy was chasing after us. There was a huge crowd anyway but this one very persistent fella was like, ‘Where is Robert! Where is Robert!’ I couldn’t stop laughing and I felt really bad because he was distraught and emotional and I was like, ‘It’s just Robert.’ It was really funny. I found that funny. Sometimes you get letters that are sort of reassuring when everyone is saying one thing about you. You have one person say, ‘Look -’ and it’s funny when you can actually relate to the fans on a human level and it happens all the time. People assume that’s impossible. So when that happens it’s a cool thing.

Question: Anything scary happen?

Stewart: Scary? No. I’m scared of crowds but individually no, of course not. Just personally I’m sort of intimidated by a lot of people.

Question: When it was announced that Chris Weitz was going to direct Stephenie Meyer was quoted as saying, ‘Lets see how a man does with movie.’ Did you have any trepidation when Catherine Hardwicke departed? Also, do you see Bella as a role model for young women?

Stewart: I think that Bella is such a good characters for girls not to look up to because it’s not looking up. The fact that she’s normal, and I think the most typically relatable thing is that she’s awesome and she doesn’t know it and she’s very sort of confident but also not arrogant. It’s a weird thing to be. I think she also has a lot of really innately female qualities that for a character in literature I think it’s awesome that so many girls can look up to her because she’s fickle and unabashedly. It’s like, ‘I’m allowed to make mistakes and I’m going to do it and I’m going to do it right now and I’m not going to be ashamed of it.’ Bella is very much like that. I think she is a good example for a young girl. I think the director thing, everyone is different. I’m not smart enough to sit here and analyze whether or not a female would’ve been more in touch. Both characters that the protagonist deals with are men. Everyone approaches relationships differently and I can’t really think of an answer.

Question: Do appreciate it when fans want to relate you to Bella, can you understand it?

Stewart: I totally understand why people have a hard time separating ourselves from our characters. It’s also just sort of the way our world is going. People are obsessed. There’s an incredibly large group of people that spend most of their time considering other people’s lives. It’s strange to me. Like I said, I can’t have anything to do with it or else I step in and mess it up for myself and I can’t even do it in a way that’s complete. I just let it sort of fall by the wayside and it doesn’t really affect me.

Question: You’ve talked about living in the moment, enjoying it. Is there a memory from the set that you’ll always take with you?

Stewart: The one moment that really [stands out], throughout the filming of ‘New Moon’, we wrapped in Italy. The last thing that I did I was running through a square through a bunch of people just around this corner, one little part of that montage where I’m running through there. There were so many people around and there was so much energy. You could feel everyone was expecting the done date, that we were almost finished. I can’t turn off, I need to fully and completely on up until that very last moment. I remember the second that we wrapped. I said at ComiCon that my favorite moment of ‘New Moon’ was when we wrapped and people took that the wrong way. It wasn’t like I was so glad to be done. It was the most memorable moment for me because I literally fell apart. I literally went [gasps]. I almost couldn’t handle it. It was the coolest experience that I’ve had on a movie. One of the coolest experiences I’ve had on a movie so far. Chris was there and it was something that we had together really. I just felt really good and that’s the most memorable experience.

Question: How attached have you become to Bella since starting this project?

Stewart: I’m very protective of her. I feel a shared ownership. It’s weird. If you were talk about the character in a way that was not at all thought out or flippant I would be right there to say that you didn’t know what you were talking about. I’m so defensive of her. So, yeah, I feel like I like her a lot. I think I can just say yes.

Question: Can you talk about a moment that stand out about making the next movie and what the third director is like?

Stewart: Yeah, ‘Eclipse’ is such that just like ‘New Moon’ it sort of starts and becomes a completely new movie. Just as soon as you think you’re going to get the same story it’s sort all of a sudden that it completely changes. Bella is much more back to herself. She’s content now. She’s comfortable and self-assured in a way that she wasn’t in ‘New Moon’. I think what I really love about ‘Eclipse’, what was interesting for me to explore was different levels of love and acknowledging that the ideals that you maybe had a little while ago aren’t true. Bella is innately honest. That’s something that I feel she is. In ‘Eclipse’ she lies to herself and she lies to everyone around her about the fact that she’s in love with Jacob, just  not as much. It’s not that extra thing that you can’t really even describe. I loved watching the three of them. I loved playing with the three characters together. There’s literally a scene where Edward and Jacob who are mortal enemies are in a tent with a sleeping Bella in between them. It’s a ridiculous circumstance to find yourself in. We had so much to work with. Then the FX as well were even more. There’s a big battle that happens and that was more than we had to deal with on ‘New Moon’. So it was cool. I’ve always gotten to do things for really short periods of time. To follow a character this long surprises me every time. I can’t wait to do the fourth hone because I’m sure that I’m going to come in and say that everything I said this time was wrong, that I actually know Bella more  now. And actually we have such established dynamics. The way that I know Bella deals with Edward, you sort of can’t mess with that. I know how she deals with him. I know how she deals with Jacob. I know how she deals with Charlie, her dad, and to have people come in and help that process out is only cooler. You always get a different perspective. So working with David [Slade] was like, ‘Okay, lets see what you’ve got, ‘ because he came up with a lot of stuff that I would’ve never thought of and he’s quite good at the whole technical aspect of movie making which is so completely over my head. So I got to feel safe that he had that handled and me and Rob and Taylor just sort of did our thing.

Question: Have you heard of a start date on the fourth film and I’ve heard it rumored that it might be two movies? Is there any truth to that?

Stewart: I don’t know.

Question: How do you relate to the idea of being immortal?

Stewart: I can only relate to that as Bella can because she is still human. I think that’s an interesting question for any one of the vampires because they actually [deal with that]. The way that I consider immortality from both my perspective as Kristen and my perspective as Bella is that it’s so completely unknown but that given the right motivating factor I’d be willing to explore it. She’s very willing to acknowledge that she doesn’t know but that she’s willing to give it a chance because of Edward, because she’s willing to sacrifice anything for him basically. A big thing for Bella is change. She’s so terrified of change because she’s been thrust into this world. It’s not a necessarily healthy way of looking at things because nothing is going away. I should be at work right now talking to Chris. This is ridiculous. Basically if you’re facing something that is completely unknown but you’re willing to take everything that is hard about it because of what you might get, that’s hope. That’s people. That’s why we get up every day. Immortality is almost more scary in our story than mortality. To live forever seems on the surface like a really cool thing but in our story it’s terrifying and in our story that means taking your soul or at least it does to Edward. Like the lines of personal belief and literally theology and your faith, what you think is going to happen after you die, these are things that we think about incessantly in the movie and things that Edward and Bella even argue about. I know that was really everywhere but there you go.

Question: How did you balance playing Bella and then playing a character like Joan Jett?

Stewart: I can only play characters that I feel like are real people and in a complete way and in such a whole way that if I fake any aspect of it I will have failed them and literally they’re slaughtered and they don’t get…it’s like these characters, they don’t exist anymore unless I do it. So in terms of approaching parts thank God I don’t have to do that. It just happens. Joan. I got to know Joan not only as her now but I feel like through footage and just through the script and the story, everything, I feel like I got to know who she was in such a whole way that it’s not about imitating even though I was really concerned about details being right, gestures and stuff. I really wanted to do a good impersonation but I also didn’t want it to be imitation. I wanted it to be natural. Playing Joan Jett had nothing to do with Bella. It was a small period of time that I had to do it but it was an opportunity that I jumped on and it was going to go away [if I hadn't]. I would’ve liked more time but like I said about walking on set, seeing all the characters and Rob and Taylor, it’s instantly easy to get right back into the right mindset. That’s vague but I what I do is so vague. Literally, what I do is so oddly ambiguous.

Question: You talked about Bella being a good role model for young girls, and yet she seems willing to sacrifice everything for Edward.  She gets depressed about a love affair that goes flat and becomes an adrenaline junkie who’s trying to kill herself in a way. Are you worried about twelve or thirteen year old girls watching this and getting a terrible idea of what’s that like?

Stewart: It’s a very extreme story. I think people who take to this story need to be a little bit more mature than that. I think the only reason that they take to it is because they are. The only way that I can justify that, and maybe I’m an immature girl as well, I really feel like if you feel like you need to do it then you need to do it. It being anything. Then after you’re told that you’ve made a mistake and that you’re wrong, if you’re willing to say that you made a mistake and that you were wrong and that you’re going to try the next thing there’s nothing to be ashamed of there at all. Be extreme. Go for it. I think that’s the point. I know this is a movie about immortality but you live once. I’m also not preaching to anybody. I’m just standing behind the story. That’s what I think.

While I am not a “Twilight” expert, I do pay attention to the world of vampires as many of you out there care a great deal about them.  So at today’s press junket for “The Twilight Saga: New Moon”, one of the big things I tried to find out was what is the status of the movie version of the last “Twilight” book, “Breaking Dawn”.  When I asked Kristen Stewart if she knew what was up with “Breaking Dawn” and if the rumors about it being two movies were true, the moderator quickly said next question and wouldn’t let her answer.

But when I had the opportunity to ask Robert Pattinson  the last question at today’s press junket, I made the most of it.  I asked him if he has been told of a tentative time he might film “Breaking Dawn”? He replied:

“I think the tentative time for “Breaking Dawn” is fall next year.  They may well change that.”

What you need to realize is many things change. Perhaps “New Moon” doesn’t do as well at the box office as the first “Twilight” movie.  Or perhaps they can’t get the script right.  While things might change, Pattinson’’s statement of fall 2010 is the first time anyone in the cast has admitted there is a plan.  Much more on “Twilight: New Moon” later tonight.

If you need an example of how smart marketing can turn around naysayers on a film, look no further than Joe Johnston’s “The Wolfman”.  After the bad buzz generated by the switch in directors from Mark Romanek (”One Hour Photo”) to Joe Johnston (”Hidalgo”) coupled with constant kicks in the release date (the film was first intended to open on November 12, 2008) “The Wolfman” will finally hit theaters on February 12, 2009.  Coupled with its most recent and most awesome trailer, “The Wolfman” is back on people’s radars and it’s looking to compete next Valentine’s Day.

The new poster for the film shows just how ballsy the marketing for this film is willing to go.  The Wolfman isn’t even in the poster but it’s obvious that Emily Blunt’s character is freaking out and with good reason.  She’s in a movie called “The Wolfman.”  I think the marketing will payoff as couples could go see this instead of the weekend’s rom-com anthology “Valentine’s Day” (or they might choose the gay Sundance sensation, “I Love You, Phillip Morris” starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor).  Hit the jump to see the poster and strongly consider putting it on your wall.

Click here to see the full-sized image.

Stephen Frears is probably one of the most successful directors that most Americans have never heard of because his movies tend to be highly British.  However, he does enjoy some solid success when he comes over to this side of the Atlantic with the popular films “The Grifters” and “High Fidelity”.  The latter film, adapted from Nick Hornby’s book, was a box office flop but has developed a strong cult following over the years.  Now it looks like he may reunite with the film’s screenwriter D.V. DeVincentis for another adaptation.  This time they’re going for geeky gamblers rather than music nerds.  Hit the jump for details.

According to THR, Frears and DeVincentis would re-team for “Lay the Favorite”, based on Beth Raymer’s upcoming memoir “Lay the Favorite, Take the Dog”.  As THR describes the plot, it looks like this film could be a lot of fun:

Raymer’s memoir is set amid a group of fiftyish math geeks who figure out how to work the sportsbook system in Las Vegas for their own profit. It centers on a woman in her early thirties who has made a series of bad choices but achieves a redemption of sorts when she meets and then becomes involved with the gamblers.

Here’s how DeVincent describes his take on the material:

“It’s a less violent, less sketchy version of the mob,” DeVincentis said of the colorful gamblers, who are based on real people. “This is the version of 50-year-old math geeks from Queens in basketball shorts who have pet guinea pigs.”

This sounds like a much better version of “21″ where the geeks aren’t afraid to be geeky and the roles seem perfect for a solid crew of middle-aged character actors rather than the pretty gamblers of Robert Luketic’s film.  Also, as seen by “High Fidelity”, Frears knows how to take a particular group’s interests and approach to life  without trying to make it seem cool and hip because he’s not afraid to highlight how and why these people are outcasts in the first place.

Hopefully this project will come together because the material sounds perfect for Frears and “Lay the Favorite” could be the film that achieves the box office success that escaped “High Fidelity” back in 2000.

“Star Trek” director J.J. Abrams is once again using his producing magic to get another TV series off the ground.  Yes, I know that “What About Brian” and “Six Degrees” were both cancelled, but he’s had some success with the last two projects he helped launch, “Lost” and “Fringe”.  Now he’s going to try to give NBC a dramatic hit they sorely need in their line-up with “Undercovers”.  Hit the jump for details.

THR reports that, schedule permitting, Abrams will make “Undercovers” the first TV pilot he has directed since 2004’s “Lost” opener.  According to THR, it was the success of that pilot which helped Abrams get the gigs for “Mission: Impossible III” and later “Star Trek”.  This means that no one took much notice of the episodes he directed of “Felicity” and “Alias”.  Good thing that “Lost” turned out to be one of the best television series of all-time.

Warner Bros., the studio producing the series, is keeping mum on the details of “Undercovers” but rumor has it that the show is a cross between “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and “The Bourne Identity”.  That makes sense since both of those movies were incredibly successful.  I have yet to see a spy show that would be described as a mix between “Ecks vs. Sever” and the film version of “I Spy”.

Part of what makes Criterion Collection films so valuable, aside from the company’s commitment to the best transfers and special features, is that some times a title will go out of print which makes the film more valuable, both in price and in lording your copy over people that didn’t get one.

“The Third Man” was one of the first Blu-ray titles released when Criterion began their foray into the format on December 18, 2008.  Now “The Third Man” is the first title of the Blu-ray line to go out of print which means the only ones left are those that have already been shipped to retailers.  If you want to get one, now’s the time as the price will most likely rise among eBay and Amazon sellers in the coming months.  I just picked up my copy online from Barnes & Noble for $34.55 (including shipping) which, after searching online, was the best deal I could find.  [Thanks to Blu-ray.com for the heads-up]

Thanks to the good folks at MGM, we’ve been provided with an exclusive new behind the scenes video from the set of “Stargate Universe”.  The clip features singer Janelle Monae talking about her cameo in tonight’s episode, as well as some new behind the scenes footage.  Take a look after the jump and remember to watch “SGU” tonight at 9/8c on Syfy.

And in case you missed it, I went to the set of “SGU” a few weeks ago and you can read my report and watch an extended interview with the cast here.

-

I’ll admit that when I sat down to watch “The Blind Side” last week, I really didn’t expect much.  I thought it would be a Lifetime movie of the week except on the big screen.  But even though I walked in ready to dismiss the film, I’m forced to say “The Blind Side” was a lot better than I expected and I enjoyed the way it mixed a few different genres together.  What you need to know is, “The Blind Side” is both a football movie and a family values film.  It’s also a bit of a comedy.  When films try and mix genres like this, you almost always end in disaster.  So I have to give credit to director John Lee Hancock (”The Rookie”) for crafting a film that should appeal to both football fans and families.  He even made me feel something for Sandra Bullock.  Trust me, that’s not easy.  Anyway, to help promote the film, we’ve been provided with seven clips and you can watch them after the jump.

For those unfamiliar with the book it’s based on, the film is based on the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home who is taken in by the Touhys (Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw), a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Oher’s presence in the Touhys’ lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle.

-

One of my big films in 2010 is director Edgar Wright’s “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World”.  As the director of “Spaced”, “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz”, Edgar Wright has proven that he’s one of the best directors working today.  While I’d be interested in whatever project he chose to do as his next film, the fact that he’s making the fantastic comic book series by Bryan Lee O’Malley is just awesome.  Anyway, people have been shown footage from “Scott Pilgrim” and the mini-reviews have been crazy.  Director Jason Reitman pretty much lost his mind after seeing 30 minutes.  And I’m beginning to figure out why.

I think the reason people are so excited for the film is Edgar Wright is pushing the boundaries of narrative storytelling.  While every movie has moving cameras and interesting shots, I’ve heard rumors that “Scott Pilgrim” is going to use a lot of split screens and animation to help tell the story.  And after speaking with Jason Schwartzman the other day, I can now confirm it.  While I do not know how many scenes use split screens, I think it’s a big part of the movie. Perhaps it’s all about trying to make comic book frames work on a movie screen. Anyhow, if you’d like to see Jason Schwartzman talk about seeing the first 19 minutes of the movie, working for Edgar and with Michael Cera, and what’s up with “Bored to Death”, hit the jump to see the interview.

Finally, this interview is part of a much larger interview I did with Jason Schwartzman for “Fantastic Mr. Fox”.  Look for what he said about Wes Anderson’s new movie closer to release.

Jason Schwartzman

• Scott Pilgrim talk. I mention how the movie is going to be a lot bigger than people think.  Jason talks about his love for Edgar Wright and Michael Cera
• Has he seen any of the movie. Says he saw the first 19 minutes
• I mention how I’ve heard the movie will have a lot of split screen and animation and he’s throwing a lot of unusual stuff at the screen
• Jason talks about how you could see on set how it was all going to come together as Edgar had a special effects team on set so you could quickly see what it might look like
• Bored to Death talk - says they start shooting the next season in March

–

It’s been almost two years since their last short film (if you don’t count “Mystery Team Adventures” from a few months ago), but Derrick Comedy is still going strong as they’ve released their new short-form hilarity, “Boy Band”, while continuing to push for their excellent movie “Mystery Team” to come to your city.  If you forgot why you loved Derrick (and I don’t understand why; they have a website with all their videos), this will quickly refresh your memory.  Once again, the group knows how to make you laugh and feel dirty at the same time (…and you can just take a bath…).

Now the important part: you need your city to get “Mystery Team”.  Unlike “Paranormal Activity” which just made people think they got the film released, you actually have to demand that “Mystery Team” come to your town and get all your friends to demand it as well.  It’s a hilarious film and you’re missing out if you don’t catch it.  The best I can do is ask our Atlanta readers to please CLICK HERE and Demand It for our city.  You’re just going to have to trust me on this one.  Hit the jump to watch “Boy Band”, learn more about “Mystery Team’s” quest to reach more theaters, and if you’re one of the glorious cities that will have a chance to see the film this holiday season.  It will just be our little secret.

The Derrick guys sent out this message to their fans [via /Film]:

There is no big corporate machine behind this movie, it’s just us and the movie and you guys, the people who want to see it. We are, as ever, entirely in your hands. We thank you for your continued support, your patience, and your excitement. Please let us know you’re out there by DEMANDING “Mystery Team.”

Over the next several months, “Mystery Team” will expand to the following cities:

11/13/09 - Phoenix, AZ - Harkins Valley Art Theater

12/4/09 - New York, NY - Quad Cinemas

12/11/09 - Albequerque, NM - The Guild Cinema - MIDNIGHT SHOWS

2/4/10 - Chicago, IL - Music Box

You’ve got to want it people.  Click here to demand it and get “Mystery Team” to your city.  Your fellow citizens need it.

View all Mystery Team tour dates

Universal Pictures has picked up a spec for the “female ‘Hangover’” as a potential star vehicle for Isla Fisher.  The film, titled “Desperados,” tells the story of a woman who sends an angry email to her new boyfriend after he stops returning her calls only to learn that the reason he turned silent is that he’s in a coma in Mexico.  Now she and a group of friends must race south of the border to intercept the message before he wakes up.  More details after the jump.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the spec was penned by Ellen Rapoport, a screenwriter who has yet to really make a name for herself.  Currently, she’s developing a few TV shows for Fox, ABC Family, and MGM, but no real film credits to her name.  The film’s being produced by “2012″ producer Mark Gordon and “Paranormal Activity” producer Jason Blum.

If you ask me, the premise sounds hilarious.  I’m not familiar with Rapoport’s ability, so I can’t really say if she’s capable of writing the female “The Hangover” or not, but assuming the humor follows through on an already humorous concept, I’d say “Desperados” has a good chance. Though the name could stand a change…

I would exactly call Bradley Cooper and Shia LaBeouf interchangeable but that’s what has happened.  Back in April of 2008, LaBeouf came on board to star in Neil Burger’s (”The Illusionist”) mystery-thriller, “Dark Fields”.  Then LaBeouf realized he could go out and play with anyone he wanted so he decided to exchange “Dark Fields” for Oliver Stone’s unnecessary sequel, “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps”.  Over a year later, Bradley Cooper steps in to fill the void because he’s LaBeouf’s long-lost twin.  Hit the jump for details.

Based on the book by Aron Glynn, Variety describes “Dark Fields” as a “what-if story about a designer drug that can make you rich and powerful. Eddie (Cooper) is a down-and-out New York writer until he possesses a pill that gives him the ability to access the full capacity of his brain. He soon realizes that his newfound intelligence and success come at a hefty price as mysterious forces begin to pursue him.”

Okay, let’s stop at “full-capacity of the brain”.  Your brain is already at full capacity.  This whole 10% of the mind thing is crap.  Each section of your brain handles different actions.  It’s not just a knowledge tub.  Now, if they said he could access the full “capabilities” of his brain, that would be different because he would have crazy Sheldon Cooper-abilities like an eidetic memory or a vendetta against Wil Wheaton.

But back to “Dark Fields”, it’s a “Be careful what you wish for” story.  It’s also a “Just Say No to Drugs” story.  It’s like if Nancy Reagan wrote an episode of “Tales From the Crypt.”  That’s definitely the way they should sell it.

Cooper will next be seen in “Valentine’s Day” and Joe Carnahan’s adaptation of “The A-Team”.  No word yet if my letter-writing campaign for “Midnight Meat Train 2″ has come to Cooper’s attention.

Men, if you find yourself forced into watching “Twilight” or “New Moon”, don’t panic.  There is a way to survive.  Be on the lookout for Ashley Greene, who plays some vampire lady, I wasn’t really paying attention because her character is not the point.  The point is Ashley Greene is jaw-droppingly attractive and every time the camera looks at her the suffering momentarily ends.  She is the life-saver which you must cling to for dear life.  At the end of it all, you will thank the gods and the casting director for putting her in that franchise.

Today we have news that she’ll be starring in Dark Castle’s upcoming horror movie “The Apparition”, which means you won’t spend time between scenes praying she’ll show up.  You just get to gaze upon her and let your adulation creep out others around you.  Hit the jump to go Greene.

“The Apparition” is based on a true story because Americans can’t be scared horror movies that don’t have some basis in fact.  “True” horror stories for us are what albino children are to the Japanese-terrifying.  Greene would play one-half of a college couple who are haunted by a supernatural presence unleashed during a college experiment.  No word yet if the other half of the couple is also a hot female co-ed and that’s how the experiment came about.

Variety reports that Todd Lincoln is writing and will direct the film.  Dark Castle is currently moving “The Losers” through post-production and also developing “Unknown White Male”, starring Liam Neeson, January Jones, and Diane Kruger.  “The Apparition” is schedule to begin production on February 1^st.  Now here’s a sexy photo of Ashley Greene.

Posters which need to be grouped together to achieve their full effect kind of bug me.  Look at these, the first four posters to promote Matthew Vaughn’s “Kick-Ass”, arguably the biggest breakout of this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.  I’m glad that the marketing campaign for the film has begun but will theaters devote this kind of space to four posters which leave out the actor’s names in favor of the character and their alter-ego?  I hope so because this movie needs to be on folks’ radar and I’m not sure if a poster saying “Mindy Macready Is Hit-Girl” with a purple-haired gal standing in front of “-A” will turn heads.  On second though, it might.  Just forget everything I said.  However, if you do see all four posters together in a theater and they’re out of order, please send us a photo.

Check out all four posters after the jump.  “Kick-Ass” is slated to hit theaters on April 16, 2010. [UPDATE: The official website is now online.  You'll see at the bottom  of the site that the trailer is set to debut online next Sunday at midnight.]

The posters come courtesy of IGN.  That’s why their logo is stamped in the lower right-hand corner of each poster.

For those just tuning in, here’s a brief synopsis:

Dave Lizewski doesn’t have superpowers, isn’t particularly strong or smart, and isn’t extraordinary in any way… aside from his desire to be a hero. Donning a scuba suit, a ski mask, and a pair of clubs, Dave hits the underworld hard in his new persona of Kick-Ass. Though not as hard — at first anyway — as they hit him when he’s severely beaten and hospitalized as a result of his first street fight. No one said being a hero was going to be easy…

In the movie “Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire”, an obese black girl growing up in 80s Harlem is beaten and verbally abused by her selfish mother.  The girl is pregnant with her second child after being raped again by her father.  Still hopeful for a better life, the girl enrolls in a program that teaches wayward young women to get their G.E.D.  Through the help of a saintly teacher and the support of her classmates, the girl finds confidence and love.  The movie co-stars comedienne Mo’Nique, pop sensation Mariah Carey, and cross-genre musician Lenny Kravitz.

“Precious” is not a Hallmark movie.  It is one of the best films of the year.

From the synopsis above, it would be reasonable to assume that “Precious” is nothing but the most trite, mawkish, and manipulative of movies.  However, director Lee Daniels manages to dodge every trap and pitfall the premise sets for his story through his unwavering devotion to the honesty of Precious’ life.  Daniels and screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher never shy away from the brutality of Precious experiences but nor do they neglect the triumphs she achieves through her hope and dedication to succeed.  There are those who may find it tough to believe that someone in Precious’ circumstances could have any hope but that’s what makes this character’s story worth telling.  Furthermore, how does one measure hope?  We can imagine how we would respond were we in her place but it’s beyond arrogant to assume that our response would be universal.

And Precious’ hope isn’t euphoric or myopic.  There are times when we witness Precious’ hope as painful like when she looks in the mirror and wants to see herself as a pretty, blonde white girl.  Her daydreams are her only escape from the harsh reality of her day-to-day life.  Over the course of the film, Precious’ hope transforms from wishing others would love her but learning to love herself.  It seems like a maudlin, self-indulgent success but it feels triumphant by conquering the constant pain stemming from her living with her mother, Mary (Mo’Nique).

For most of the film, it’s easy to dismiss Mary as nothing more than an evil, malevolent force in Precious’ life.  She’s a Disney villain who turns her own daughter into a servant so she can enjoy the leisure of watching shitty television and being fed crappy food as she subsists on welfare checks.  Daniels is fully aware that the character could be an easily dismissed stereotype that diminishes the reality of Precious’ world.  It was essential to find an actress who could be unflinchingly ugly and hateful.  He found that actress in the unlikeliest of performers: comedienne Mo’Nique

Mo’Nique, for those who don’t know, has never been known for drama.  She is associated with such films as “Soul Plane”, “Phat Girlz”, and the UPN sitcom “The Parkers” which introduced “Heeyyyy” into the popular American vernacular.  After seeing her performance in “Precious”, she will be known as one of the best dramatic actresses working in Hollywood.  Mo’Nique is a lock for a Best Supporting Actress nomination and I would say she’s the leading contender for winning it.  To maintain the realism of this character and letting you know that she’s a person and her ugliness comes from painful regret and betrayal, Mo’Nique’s performance is a revelation.

While Mo’Nique’s work is astounding, not a single actor in this movie gives anything less than a powerful performance.  Even Carey and Kravitz remove their Hollywood glamour to play just minor roles in the movie; they’re not angling for an award but supporting a story they believe in.  I imagine some folks won’t even recognize them and that’s a tribute to their work here.

In her feature film debut, Gabourey Sidibe gives a breakthrough performance in as Precious.  She holds every scene and lets us know that she has the strength to endure her abuse and the joy to appreciate the love she receives from the people who come into her life.  Because of Sidibe, you never pity Precious.  You cheer for her.

I’m sure at this point, “Precious” sounds like an unrelenting and depressing film that may be excellent but too relentless to enjoy.  But Lee Daniels, whose only previous feature was the 1995 Cuba Gooding Jr. crime-drama “Shadowboxer”, crafts “Precious” into a film that pushes its audience to feel Precious’ pain but at the moment when it almost becomes too much to stomach, he lifts the film back into the air and allows the audience to smile, laugh, and breathe.  His movie is an emotional roller coaster but Daniels lays every part of the track perfectly, knowing when to break the reality and bring one of Precious’ daydreams to life and when to show her life at its bleakest.

Some have criticized the film as an over-hyped con-job that preys on white liberal guilt.  But I don’t feel guilty because I, aka Whitey, would find this film just as powerful if it were about an overweight white girl set in a crummy, impoverished small Midwestern town.  I don’t have the arrogance to think that I understand how black people will respond to “Precious”.  I do know that the horrors Precious encounters aren’t confined to impoverished black people.  But it’s comforting to think that “Precious” is the product of executive producers Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry pushing a manipulative tale of African-American empowerment.  That way we can easily dismiss it and prove that we see the strings, oh you puppetmasters.

There are so many ways to brush aside “Precious: Based on the Novel by Sapphire” but once you see this film you won’t be able to let it go.

Don’t worry.  It’s okay to laugh.  You don’t need laughs that cut off your ability to breathe nor do you need laughs that are tinged with that magical mixture of horror and schadenfreude.  Sometimes it’s okay to laugh at jokes which you may not remember but come from care-free, silly humor that doesn’t condescend or rely heavily on slapstick.  “The Men Who Stare at Goats” is a fun, enjoyable film that may not cut deep with satire or delve deeply into its bizarre premise, but one which will keep you happy for 93 minutes and leave you smiling.

Based off Jon Ronson’s 2004 book of the same name, “The Men Who Stare at Goats” is the tale of desperate reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) who is looking to escape the sorrow of his wife leaving him for his editor.  Wilton heads off to Iraq War II and has a chance encounter with Lyn Cassady, a name Wilton recognizes from an interview he did two years prior where the subject talked about his participation in a military program to train psychic soldiers.  Cassady comes clean about the project and describes himself as a “Jedi Warrior”, a man who uses his powers of the mind for good.  Realizing this is a far better story than simply covering the war, Wilton joins Cassady through a series of misadventures while learning about Cassady’s involvement in the “Earth Army”, created by Bill Django (Jeff Bridges) and corrupted by Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey).

There’s not much in the way of overarching themes in “The Men Who Stare at Goats” beyond the old “Believing Is Seeing” trope.  However, it doesn’t support any particular belief even though the Earth Army comes from Django’s investment in the 70s New Age movement.  The juxtaposition of soldiers frolicking around in a peace-love style project is cute and funny, and while I am uncomfortable with blind faith, the use of the military as a means of non-lethal conflict resolution is uplifting.  The film acknowledges that both blind-faith and new-age-militarism are pretty silly and it keeps the film light.

As the viewer surrogate, Wilton remains a straight man, expressing the fears and anxieties we would experience if we had undertaken a precarious journey and placed our trust in a man who claimed he had psychic powers.  When it comes to comedy, Wilton is mainly used for slapstick and to set-up jokes and situations for Lyn.  However, the film does get a big boost by having McGregor in this role while constantly having other characters mention Jedi.

Bridges does a fine job and Spacey proves that his talent isn’t in drama but in dark comedy and turning smarminess into an art form.  But this is Clooney’s film and, as is his habit, he’s brilliant.  Giving the character a gentle hug followed by the gift of a sunflower, Clooney never chews the scenery as much as he just lets Lyn be completely confident no matter how bizarre his actions or beliefs.  It’s a silly movie but Clooney understands his character should be winking at the camera or making nothing but big gestures.  No matter how incredulous we may be of Lyn’s beliefs, we never pity or dismiss him.  It’s another example of how Clooney’s charm doesn’t always arise out of a bashful smile or a confident grin.  The guy knows how to be likeable in everything he does.

Director Grant Hezlov understands comic pacing, which shots will provide the best comedic effect, and in so doing his direction matches the understated tone of the film.  We assume that the outsized, unbelievable story of psychic spies and an adventure across the American invasion of Iraq would yield a sensational film but “The Men Who Stare at Goats” occupies this odd middle ground where it’s not subtle enough to be dry, but not bombastic enough to be over-the-top.  The result is a film that some may find middling but I imagine most will find pleasant and enjoyable.  2009 has seen some painfully funny films but not every film has to send you out of the theater in stitches.  “The Men Who Stare at Goats” is the perfect film for a weekend matinee with friends or family where everyone will laugh, and that’s okay.

Rating —– B

When it was announced that Robert Zemeckis was directing an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” starring Jim Carrey and made with 3D motion-capture, my response was viciously negative.  Zemeckis had left behind movies like “Back to the Future” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”, movies with characters and charming stories, in favor of 3D motion-captured films featuring CG characters who resembled the voice actor except they were trapped deep within the uncanny valley (the place where CG facsimiles of people look like very expensive animatronics).  Throwing Jim Carrey into the mix to have him constantly mug for the camera made the idea of a 3D motion-captured film even more unappealing.  And “A Christmas Carol”?  How many times do we need to see this story?  Seeing it in 3D with Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge was an argument not to make the movie.  (Hit the jump to find out why all these perceived flaws are actually the film’s greatest strengths.)

And then I saw the opening scene of the film at Comic-Con and the first line of Dickens’ take: “Marley was dead.” Coupled with the scene of Marley’s ghost terrorizing Scrooge, I’ve been excited for the movie ever since.  “A Christmas Carol” is not only another step forward in the field of 3D motion-capture cinema, but an adaptation which realizes that when you have ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, you have a ghost story and ghost stories are supposed to be scary.  “A Christmas Carol” will make your little children cry and I really enjoyed the movie (there may be a loose correlation between the two).

Since you already know the story, I’ll explain what Zemeckis has done to make it worth your time.  To begin, as he showed with his prior film, “Beowulf”, he’s beyond shooting objects out of the screen just because he can.  The purpose of 3D in “A Christmas Carol” is for infinite depth of field and uninterrupted camera movement.  These are the advantages of all 3D films, not throwing a yo-yo out of the screen.

Where “A Christmas Carol” takes a huge step forward is in motion capture and CGI-humans.  Through a new program used to track retinal movements, Zemeckis has solved the “dead-eye” problem and while there are few characters who still seem animatronic, most of all Scrooge’s nephew Fred (Colin Firth), Scrooge is alive.  The character’s greatest technical asset is his age so that the facial movements are distinct and the tightness of the skin allows for subtle tics and tiny details which make the character feel realistic but not pretending as if this isn’t animation.  With the eye-problem solved, Zemeckis’ next challenge will be skin as the film’s chubbier and younger characters still look off.

But why aim for verisimilitude of Jim Carrey when you have Jim Carrey?  What’s the point other than proving that you can?  While it would be no challenge to put Scrooge-makeup on Carrey, the advantage of the animation is that it can de-age him.  He can play his character as a child, as a young man, as the flickering, child-like Ghost of Christmas Past, and the hearty Ghost of Christmas Present.  Gary Oldman can play not only Bob Cratchit, but Cratchit’s son Tiny Tim, and Scrooge’s former partner, Jacob Marley.  It’s not a matter of trying to save money on actors, but a thoughtful reason for having one actor play multiple roles.  This is not an Eddie Murphy movie.

Also unlike an Eddie Murphy movie, “A Christmas Carol” intentionally scares children.  As I said before, this is a ghost story and parents should know that if they pay the $15 per ticket to the 3D version, they may only get to see about thirty minutes of the film before their child wants to leave.  If you pay to see the IMAX 3D version, tell your kid that the economy sucks and they’ll have to tough it out.  There was a time when it was okay to have scary moments in kids’ movies.  Parents will be left wondering how this movie and “Where the Wild Things Are” got PG ratings. My answer: they don’t have swear words.  You’re welcome.

It’s simple to dismiss Robert Zemeckis and his ongoing quest to tell stories in 3D with motion capture but I’m learning to have faith in him. “A Christmas Carol” speaks in a Dickensian English with some serious vocabulary for a family film, features scares that even adults will find unnerving, and if not for a 5-minute set piece that’s out of place with the rest of the film’s tone, this version is a successful telling of the tale.  You’ll still cringe with, “God bless us…everyone!” but that one is on Dickens; give some credit to Robert Zemeckis.

Rating —- B