Put a Specimen on Your Desk!

Here’s a bit of creepy goodness to put on your desk from Sideshow.  This series called “Specimens” even has a nifty back story:

The origin of the virus is yet unknown as humanity struggles to contain the Dead. Without answers, the hordes multiply rapidly. Few attempts to kill them have succeeded, but scientists have gathered a small number of specimens for testing and training. The answer seems to lay with the head, the brain of the once reanimated corpse. These specimens seem to offer a cure, and when they find one, you must be ready.

For information on how to order click here.

Video: Clips from THE WOLFMAN Remake!

Here’s a real treat.  Five clips of video goodness from The Wolfman, including a sequence featuring the beginning of a transformation.  Enjoy!

Despite the mistreatment from the studio, and Internet carping, we think the movie looks like a lot of fun.  C’mon, it’s a wolfman movie!  We don’t get many of those.

Video: THE LOSERS Trailer

Trailer for The Losers based on the DC comic book of the same name.

If you’re familiar with the original DC comic and were expecting WWII action, well, you’re out of luck.  This is based on the re-imagining of the series published under DC’s Vertigo imprint (their mature readers line) which moves the action to the present day.

New METROPOLIS Restoration (Updated)

In 2008, missing scenes from the 1927 Fritz Lang classic Metropolis were discovered in Buenos Aires. Many thought a complete version of Metropolis would never be found.  But now it will soon be possible for people to see the film almost in its original form.

But the footage was 16mm and in poor condition.  Many saw it as unrestorable.  But some software whizzes as a company called Algosoft thought differently.  And they’ve just posted the beginning of their restoration at their website.  These tests concentrate on something called “deflickering”.

Here’s a description of the process:

After Algosoft’s Inna Kozlov and Alex Petukhov examined the footage, they were excited about the challenge — not only because it was an important piece of film history, but because it was a perfect test for their new fully-automated de-flicker algorithm. The flicker in the Metropolis footage wasn’t ordinary flicker. It consisted of bright moving splotches with sharp edges. When Algosoft sent their test results to Alpha-Omega, Thomas Bakels wrote: “I can’t imagine any of the other companies delivering something good as you just showed me.” In August 2009 Algosoft was informed that their test won the competition organized by Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Foundation.As a result, Alpha-Omega purchased a seat of VIVA, and it has been used to remove the dramatically flicker from damaged footage.

You can view samples of the flicker removal here.

Update:  Check out this new high quality video of the restoration here.  The audio is in German, but it features a lot of interesting clips so its worth watching even if you don’t understand German.

Photos: Korean Release Party for GHOST RADIO

Here’s some photos from the Korean release party for Ghost Radio:

You can check out more photos from the party here.

Korean Ad for GHOST RADIO!

Here’s an ad for the Korean book release party for Ghost Radio.

We have no idea what the poster says.  Maybe some of our multi-lingual readers could help us with that.  Anyone?  But we love the design sense.  It puts many US posters to shame.  H’wood, are you seeing this?

Video: GHOST RADIO Released in Korea!

Ghost Radio was released this month in Korea.  And here’s a fan expressing her excitement:

CLASH OF THE TITANS and HARRY POTTER (Maybe) to get 3D Releases!

Warner Brothers announced today that Louis Leterrier’s remake of the eighties classic Clash of the Titans will be getting a 3D releases!  However, 3D fans are somewhat skeptical.  The film wasn’t produced in 3D.  So many argue that it will be more FauxD than 3D.

But how true is that?  Since a lot of this film will feature CG rendered sequences much of the film will probably be indistinguishable from films produced in 3D.

Also, Warners is hinting that the last two films in the Harry Potter series will also be getting the 3D (fauxD) treatment.  Though there’s been no official word on this.

The 3D version of Clash of the Titans will hit theaters April 2, 2010, one week after the 2D release of the film.

3D STAR WARS Getting Closer!

Although Lucasfilm denied reports of creating 3D versions of the Star Wars film as recently as October, it seems they’ve had a change of heart.

In an interview with George Lucas during the Golden Globes he had this to say about Avatar:

I liked it … I make movies like that,  I can appreciate what he went through to do it.  Happy it’s so successful, and worked very well in 3D.  Haven’t been a big fan of 3D, but that movie definitely improves in 3D.

Then he went on to say:

We’ve been looking for years and years and years at trying to take Star Wars and put it in 3D.  But the technology hasn’t been there. We’ve been struggling with it, but I think this will be a new impetus to make that happen.

Doesn’t sound like it’s close to active development, but the “impetus” he speaks of may soon put it there.

Photos: Unpublished James Bond Audition Stills

This is a real treat!

Life magazine has dipped into their archives and found a series of photos of the final auditions for the role of James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.  Unknown Australian actor George Lazenby would land the role.  But now we have a chance to see images of the other actors auditioning for the coveted part.

John Richardson was the most experienced actor of the bunch, getting some attention for his roles in in the Hammer productions of  She and One Million Years B.C. Here we see him testing for a love scene.

Anthony Rogers had recently appeared in Camelot.  But, after this screen test, he would disappear into obscurity, never to land another acting role again.  Here we see his take on Bondian smoking.

Robert Campbell was new to acting.  And here we see him being helped into a shoulder holster.

Hans de Vries would go on to career playing small roles in a variety of British television series.  But here all he seems to have on his mind is a Bondian lip-lock.

Finally, here’s the man who landed the role, George Lazenby, looking confident and relaxed.

You can see even more photos of these auditions here.

So, based on these photos, do you think they chose the best man for the role?