To date, there are currently ten films that have crossed that almost unimaginable threshold of taking more than a billion dollars at the worldwide box office, a record first broken in 1998 by James Cameron’s epic, Titanic, which stayed at the top of the US box office for fifteen straight weeks, a record it still holds today.

Titanic stood alone in the $1bn. club for six years before being joined by Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and over the following years, it has since been joined by eight others, and has only ever been beaten in its worldwide gross by one, Cameron’s Avatar, which took almost $2.8bn. against Titanic’s $1.85bn.

Currently, the billion-dollar club looks like this, courtesy of Wikipedia, in order of highest to lowest:

1. Avatar
2. Titanic
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
4. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
6. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
7. Toy Story 3
8. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
9. Alice in Wonderland
10. The Dark Knight

Of course, there is certainly an argument to say that a list like this is meaningless, since it doesn’t account for inflation or ticket price variations, and thus makes it difficult to compare the films’ grosses. Nonetheless, that doesn’t change the fact that these ten films are the only ones to pass that boundary Titanic first leaped over just before the turn of the century.

In 2011, we saw three additions to the club, in the form of Harry Potter, Transformers, and Pirates of the Caribbean, making it a record year for the number of films to reach that milestone. And so with that in mind, I thought it would be appropriate before the year’s coming blockbusters are released to make a few predictions of who might be joining the club this year.

Technically speaking, with its 3D re-release coming this week, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is looking like a very likely candidate. Its gross currently stands at just shy of $925m., and if the re-release of The Lion King in 3D last year is anything to go by, earning more than $100m. across the globe, then The Phantom Menace could well be the first one to be added to the list this year. (Though it could be argued either way as to whether or not a re-release’s earnings should be taken into account; I leave that up to you to decide.)

Looking forward, things start to get exciting. The candidates looking strongest this year are of course the superhero blockbusters, and we’ve got plenty to look forward to in 2012.

Thirteen years earlier I was in Leicester Square to witness a moment which had long been rumoured, promised then teased when the first of the Star Wars prequel trilogy was released.

It hadn’t started well. The Phantom Menace seemed too quirky a title, however the cast was good – Ewan McGregor as a young Alec Guinness, Liam Neeson and Natalie Portman were on board and Ian McDiarmid turning up to reprise his role as Palpatine.

And then there was Jar-Jar…

In many ways The Phantom Menace was a tipping point in our collective pop culture. Never before was the maxim ‘When the Gods want to punish you, they give you what you want’ more appropriate and we stumbled out of the cinema a little older, far wiser and wondering if The Matrix was still playing across the road.

Years later, and the trilogy complete, The Phantom Menace takes the stage once again, this time in 3D, and while the extra dimension was never going to change the film in any epiphanic way, it’s a shame that the 3D adds nothing to the film. For those who took issue with the film in 1999 you’ll find that time has not been kind and a dull curiosity may tempt you back into the cinema but the numerous problems of the film will always weigh this film down.

The final light sabre duel still looks great, though riddled with narrative oddities, and there’s no doubting that Darth Maul is an excellent addition to the Sithsphere, but the bloodless Jedi characters and feckless narrative drive are still like cinematic molasses. Dave commented during the early part of the film, ‘zzzzzzzzz’.

The 3D post conversion varies wildly in quality, adding nothing save for one soaring shot of a  floating platform high above the surface of Coruscant which induces a moment of stomach-churning vertigo. The pod race has its moments when the vast engines of the racers loom large over the manically paced background but these are sparse exceptions to the rule.

This is not Clash of the Titans/Viewmaster bad 3D, but it is a far cry from what we’ve seen so far of James Cameron’s Titanic 3Ding which is due out in April.

Perhaps this conversion will set a new standard and the subsequent Star Wars episodes will make use of 3D, and I can’t deny I’m curious about seeing how the original trilogy will look in 3D but this isn’t the best advert for the process, nor will it convince many that the addition of a third dimension is anything more than another money spinner.

And The Muppets is out today. I think you know what to do.

To celebrate the release of STAR WARS: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in 3D on 9^th February, we have some awesome goody bags to give away.

IN CINEMAS 9TH FEBRUARY NATIONWIDE IN 3D ONLY  – Experience It For The First Time in 3D!

Whether you’re an old fan or new, there’s no denying that seeing Star Wars on the big screen is an event not to be missed, especially when it’s the first Star Wars movie to ever be presented in spectacular 3D! The duel with Darth Maul, the harrowing Tatooine Podrace, the first meeting of Artoo and Threepio, and the introduction of the Star Wars Saga’s tragic hero, Anakin Skywalker, are all back in an all-new 3D presentation of Episode I, an experience that promises to truly surround you with the Force!

Each goody bag includes a Lenticular Card, Magnet, Sticker Sheet, 3D Puzzle Podracer, Pop-Up Scene and Stickers, A4 Notebook, T-Shirt.

To be in with a chance of winning the merchandise, click next to go to the question and entry form.

Star Wars® and all characters, names and related indicia are trademark of & © 2012 Lucasfilm Ltd.

We are literally just days away from the 3D re-release of the first film in one of cinema’s biggest franchises, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Yesterday, we saw some never-before-seen images that took us behind the scenes of the film. And today, we have a great new featurette, courtesy of Yahoo Movies, in which we see George Lucas and John Knoll, VFX supervisor, discussing the process of the 3D conversion for the re-release.

Listening to them talk, it sounds like they’re going for a different approach to most 3D films these days, and not going for the gratuitous shots of things coming at you out of the screen, but are seeking to use the technology instead to give the image greater depth within itself.

Definitely an interesting take on things, and of course we get some brilliant clips spliced between Lucas and Knoll’s interviews. As Lucas says,

“Whether you see it in 3D or see it in 2D, see it on the big screen. There’s nothing like it.”

Provided the converted film is received well, the expectation is that we’ll get to see a 3D re-release for each of the six Star Wars films once a year over the next six years, which is most certainly something to look forward to.

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace 3D is released here in the UK on Thursday, 9^th February, and you can catch up on the official trailer for the re-release beneath the featurette in case you’ve missed it. I didn’t get a chance to see the film when it was first released back in 1999 (in my defence, I’d only just turned nine at the time), so I can’t wait to see it on the big screen for the first time.

Why put up one poster when you can put up 11 right?! Vertigo Films have sent us a brand new quad poster and 10 other character posters for their new movie, Street Dance 2. The first movie turned out to be one of the most successful independent British movies of all time bringing in £6.6m at the UK Box office. This new offering brings more awesome dance moves but time will tell if the sequel can be as successful as it’s predecessor. Streetdance 3D was released at the height of all things dance as Britain’s Got Talent was sweeping the nation with new and exciting moves and the likes of Flawless and eventual winners of that season being Susan Boyle in the process, Diversity. That was a fair while ago now and I’m, not sure the movies ill have the longevity that it’s makers hope it does but I hope am I completely wrong and it blows the other one out of the water.

When top street dancer Ash (Hentschel) is humiliated and laughed off stage by American crew Invincible, he sets off to gather the best dancers from around the world to take them on – with a dance style they weren’t expecting.  With landmark locations, a spectacular fusion of dance styles and an unparalleled vibrancy, the sequel to STREETDANCE sees our hero fall in love with a beautiful salsa dancer as he discovers the magic, power and passion of dancing for the ultimate global dance off.

StreetDance 2 3D is set for release March 30th, is Directed by Dania Pasquini, Max Giwa and stars George Sampson, Tom Conti, Jess Liaudin, Sofia Boutella, Stephanie Nguyen and Falk Hentschel.

Click the posters below to enlarge.

Becoming one of the best-known artists across the world, Katy Perry has risen to monumental success in the past few years, and is still riding high from the release of her 2010 album, Teenage Dream, with the single Firework nominated in two categories at the upcoming 54^th Grammy Awards, held on 12^th February.

THR are now reporting that Paramount are in talks with the star’s management, as well as with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s production shingle, Imagine Entertainment, to develop a documentary-style 3D film centred around the singer-songwriter that will of course include footage of Perry performing too.

The talks are still in the early stages, and there’s still no word on a potential director yet, but it sounds like everyone’s eager to make it happen, so it’s just a matter of working out the finer points. Paramount are thought to want to use the model they found success with in Justin Bieber’s 3D concert movie/documentary, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, which took almost $100m. at the international box office, from a $13m. budget.

Naturally, you might remember that another recent concert movie, Glee: The 3D Concert Movie, didn’t do quite as well, taking in just under $20m. from its $9m. budget, so no doubt Paramount will want to ensure that they consider what could have gone wrong there and avoid it.

Perry is well known for both her talents as a singer and as a performer, so it makes a lot of sense to produce a film around her. With record sales across the world topping 10m., and digital track sales in the US at more than 37m., there is clearly a substantial potential demographic in place for something like this.

The artist also found success last year delving beyond music, guest-starring in an episode of How I Met Your Mother, before going on to lend her voice to the summer blockbuster The Smurfs, taking the part of Smurfette, and the film was a unexpectedly huge success, turning a $110m. budget into more than $500m. at the box office.

It may still be early days for this new project, but I can imagine that if all sides are eager to make it happen, we’ll be hearing more on its progress before long. For now, here’s the brilliant video for Perry’s fantastic single, Firework. I dare you not to enjoy it.

Not too sure what to make of this but Vertigo have just announced via a press release that they’ll be bringing ‘Top Cat: The Movie’ to the big screen. I can still remember to this day my dad doing impressions of Top Cat saying hello to Office Dibble in the tradition Top Cat voice but I am struggling to work out how they’ll transition the cartoon to the big screen. But hey, they’re doing it with Postman Pat so why not Top Cat too!

Based on the classic animated Hanna Barbara cartoon series, Top Cat: The Movie sees TC (Top Cat) and the gang face their biggest adventure yet.  A new tech-savvy police chief joins the force and not only threatens to retire bumbling Officer Dibble, but stop the feline antics in Hoagy’s Alley, once and for all.

Here’s the original theme song, poster and the official press release below and we’ll see it on the biog screen August 2012.

VERTIGO BRINGS TOP CAT: THE MOVIE TO THE BIG SCREEN

London Monday 23^rd January 2012:  From the makers of StreetDance 1& 2 and Horrid Henry, Vertigo Films are pleased to announce the UK theatrical release of Top Cat: The Movie in 3D in August 2012.

Based on the classic animated Hanna Barbara cartoon series, Top Cat: The Movie sees TC (Top Cat) and the gang face their biggest adventure yet.  A new tech-savvy police chief joins the force and not only threatens to retire bumbling Officer Dibble, but stop the feline antics in Hoagy’s Alley, once and for all.

Top Cat: The Movie was created by Anima Studios and will be released both 2D and 3D formats.

Vertigo Film’s Rupert Preston and Allan Niblo said,  “Top Cat is an iconic and much-loved character known by nearly every parent in the UK. We are thrilled to be bringing Top Cat, his mischievous gang and Officer Dibble to a whole new generation”

Richard S. Guardian, of Guardian Entertainment International, negotiated the sale on behalf of Lightning Entertainment and Anima Studios with Vertigo’s Allan Niblo and Rupert Preston. Guardian has said, “I’m excited that Top Cat is being released in the UK by as innovative and dynamic a company as Vertigo Films.  They have their fingers on the pulse of what audiences want to see.  The producers and I are delighted that the team that has handled films such as StreetDance, Monsters, and Horrid Henry will be putting their efforts behind Top Cat”.

To celebrate the release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D which arrives in cinemas February 9th, we are giving away two pairs of tickets to an exclusive advance screening on Wednesday the 8^th February. The screening will take place at a West End venue (this will be revealed once you receive your ticket), in a galaxy far, far away. Storm Troopers will open the doors at 5:30pm, followed by action in the foyer. The saga will begin at 6:30pm.

Join the celebration as Star Wars returns to theaters. Discover how the epic story of Anakin Skywalker begins on the big screen for the first time ever in 3D. A young slave boy on the desert planet Tatooine, Anakin is strong in the Force, and an amazing Podracer pilot. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn discovers Anakin and sees his potential to be a great Jedi Knight. Meanwhile, the droid army of the greedy Trade Federation invades the peaceful planet of Naboo as part of a secret plot by the Sith to gain power. In defending Queen Amidala of Naboo, the Jedi Knights will cross lightsaber blades with the deadly Sith Lord, Darth Maul.

To be in with a chance of winning this fabulous prize, click next to be taken to the question and entry form.

So remember yesterday when I wrote that long post about UltraViolet and how I’d never heard of it before? Well it turns out that a few hours later, I watched this video that Michael Bay made with Paramount to plug the special edition Blu-ray box set for Transformers: Dark of the Moon 3D and he gives UltraViolet a little plug!Now that Michael Bay has mentioned it, it surely must be worth a look!

Have a little watch of this video which shows what we can expect from the special edition 3d Blu-ray box set for Transformers: Dark of the Moon when it’s released later in the year in the US. What I’m not sure of is if the epic special edition will be available here in the UK. I’m currently writing this at 00:35 in the morning so I have no PR to ask but I shall investigate in the morning and update this post when I get more info. You can however pre-order the 3d Blu-ray here before it’s released on February 13th.

In the meantime, enjoy!

Source: MichaelBay.com

If you weren’t aware, Star Wars is coming back to the cinema (I know!) and this time it’ll be coming at you in eye-popping 3D. At least that’s what the promotions that I’ve seen for it so far have been telling us! The other day we had a lovely post for the Darth Vader burger which features a bun direct from the dark side and is completely black. If you missed it, click here forthwith! We also have have competition with Escapade UK to give you the chance to win some costumes from Star Wars, click here to find out more.

Twentieth Century Fox have now released these five posters for the movie which comes from KinoGallery and is for the first movie to be released: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Have to say, I love the Podrace poster and the one of them in the blue light. Not so keen on the one of them all appearing in the lightsaber though. What’s going on there?

I usually write the synopsis and cast for these movies but since this is the re-re-re-release, I dont think I’ll bother!

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 3D will be with us 9th February. Click all the posters below to enlarge.

To celebrate the launch of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in 3D we have teamed up with costume retailer Escapade fancy dress for a competition giving you the chance to win one of two awesome and covetable prizes.

The Star Wars fancy dress gear up for grabs includes one fantastic Star Wars collectors’ edition Stormtrooper helmet and one deluxe Darth Vader costume set with full head helmet & Lightsaber.

How to enter

To enter, simply read the steps below and then follow as many of them as you want to – each method counts as a separate entry (so if you do them all, you have six chances to win!).

For every entry method you use, please create a different comment in the comments section below. Mention in your comment which costume you want to win by writing either ‘Darth Vader’ or ‘Stormtrooper’.

Method #1 – Google +1 the Escapade website then let us know what name you did it under in the comments.

Method #2 – Tweet this exact phrase: “I’d love to win one of @Escapade_UK’s Star Wars giveaway prizes via @HeyUGuys. Click here http://bit.ly/z3Rm3W” then tell us in the comments section you have done it and under what name.

Method #3 – Follow Escapade on Twitter then just tell us what username you did it under in the comments section.

Method #4 – Circle Escapade on Google+. Again, once you have just tell us in the comments section.

Method #5 – Like Escapade on Facebook. Once you have liked them just let us know in the comments.

Method #6 – Share this website (HeyUGuys) on Facebook. Once you have, let us know in the comments section.

Please specify which prize you would like to win in the comments.

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

—————

TERMS & CONDITIONS

• The winner is selected using Random Number Generator
• Unfortunately, due to the nature of this prize this giveaway is only open to UK residents.
• Competition end date – 30th January 2012 at 23:59 GMT
• Entrants must be 18 years or older.
• All entries will be verified.
• If the winner hasn’t replied within 2 weeks to the organiser’s email to receive his prize, a new winner will be randomly drawn.

After The Lion King 3D did tremendously well at the box office towards the end of last year, Disney and Pixar announced that they would be bringing back four from their collection – two each – to the big screen in 3D.

Kicking things off will be Beauty and the Beast, which the States are set to get this coming weekend – alas, I think we have to wait until May in the UK – and then following towards the end of the year will be Finding Nemo, and DisneyPixar’s YouTube have just put up the first trailer for the re-released film. After Finding Nemo is re-released, we can then look forward to seeing Monsters, Inc. and The Little Mermaid in all new dimensions next year.

“Nemo, an adventurous young clownfish, is unexpectedly taken to a dentist’s office aquarium. It’s up to Marlin (Albert Brooks), his worrisome father, and Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), a friendly but forgetful Regal Blue Tang, to make the epic journey to bring Nemo home. Their adventure brings them face-to-face with vegetarian sharks, surfer dude turtles, hypnotic jellyfish, hungry seagulls, and more. Marlin discovers a bravery he never knew, but will he be able to find his son?”

Along with Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres, the film also found a supporting cast lending their voices to the animated family favourite that included Alexander Gould as the eponymous Nemo, Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney, Stephen Root and his NewsRadio co-star Vicki Lewis (if you haven’t seen the show, I highly recommend it), Geoffrey Rush, Eric Bana, and many more.

Directed by Andrew Stanton, Finding Nemo’s first run back in 2003 saw it take just under $900m., making it, unadjusted for inflation, the 26th-highest-grossing film of all time, going on to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Pretty impressive stuff.

I missed it when it was first released in the cinema, and am still yet to see it in the years since then – which I am frequently told is a crime whenever the film is mentioned – so I’m already quite looking forward to seeing this when it gets its re-release. The US are set to get it on 14th September this year, and hopefully we won’t have long to wait after that to see it here too. Here’s the new trailer to begin the excitement.

Earlier today we had a chance to talk to Oscar-winning producer Jon Landau when he came to town to present some footage from the 3D version of Titanic. We’ll be posting details of that footage later in the week but Landau also spoke about 3D and the future of film.

During the presentation he gave some details away about the facility he and James Cameron are using to produce the  Avatar sequels:

We took this facility at Manhattan Beach Studios. It’s three stages, we have this office space next to it. Because we’re going to be working with a technical crew in the office space, and we wanted make them feel a part of the process, we convinced the studio to cut windows into the second floor that looked down on the stage, to make the crews feel a part of the process of what’s going on on the stage.

We also have done everything we could in the facility to ‘green’ it, to make it environmentally friendly. We put solar panels up on the roof, things like that.

He also spoke briefly about their plans to convert  some of Cameron’s back catalogue to 3D ,

I think when we’re done with the next two Avatars, it’s something that we’ll definitely go and and entertain looking at a couple of them to do. Whether it be Terminator 2, whether it be Aliens, I think Jim would like to do it.

I think, looking at other filmmakers, I know that Peter Jackson is interested in possibly going back on Lord of the Rings, I’ve  heard that Stephen Spielberg is interested in maybe going back on the first Jurassic Park. I think the key here is filmmaker involvement. I think that’s what you need to make these things work, and to do it right over a period of time. What we’re doing now is we’re creating our archival master. What we release this April is going to be, for history, the master for Titanic, and anybody who upgrades it will have that library value.

Star Trek 2 is gearing up for principal shooting to kick off in the new year, which is welcome news. The reboot of the franchise was desperately needed and JJ Abrams’ first instalment was a sensational shot in the arm for a series that had become bogged down since the high water mark of First Contact.

What is not especially welcome news is that Abrams is looking at shooting the sequel on film and then post-converting it into 3D. Obviously the “shooting on film” bit is not of concern, it is the dreaded “post-conversion” which is troubling, given the poor application of the technique up until now.

JJ Abrams is no mug and has certainly proved himself a steady and dependable pair of hands so far, but this does very much feel like a step in the wrong direction. At a time when (at least here in the UK), 3D ticket sales are on the wane, it seems unnecessary to gear up for a post-conversion.

 Having said that, it might yet prove to be an astute move. Prior success or not, Abrams is as susceptible as anyone to studio pressure and may have therefore negotiated a deal to post-convert, hoping that either 3D will have fallen out of favour by then and he won’t need to, or that the technology will have improved, leaving the results more impressive. Either way, that is a massive leap of speculation on my part and in no way grounded in any sort of information or insight.

JJ Abrams also wants to shoot some of the film in IMAX format, which he is thoroughly enthusiastic about, though he remains predictably tight-lipped about story arcs, characters, villains and the like, all of which will no doubt unfold in due course.

MTV have this story, together with a few more quotes from Abrams regarding his aspirations for the sequel.

Laika Entertainment’s new 3D horror comedy ParaNorman wants you to know that even the misunderstood kids can be heroes with the release of its new one-sheet!

Directed by animation veterans Chris Butler and Sam Fell, and featuring the voices of Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road, Let Me In), Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air, Twilight Saga) and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad, Kick-Ass), the film follows a quirky kid who can communicate with the dead and is thrust into a heroic situation when a curse puts his entire town in the middle of a zombie invasion.

Catch up on the trailer and synopsis here if you haven’t already seen it, and check out the colorful one-sheet of what will surely be a fantastic stop-motion 3D adventure below!

Paranorman hits theaters in the US August 17th, 2012.

Empire

Pinewood Studios have just put up this fabulous featurette focusing on Hugo and the filming which took place at Shepperton and Pinewood Studios right here in the UK. In the feauturette which looks specifically at the studios used for filming, we also hear from Graham King who talks about Director Martin Scorsese and the ‘magician’ that he is and James Cameron who speaks briefly with Director Martin Scorsese about the 3D used in the movie. It really is a great featurette which you’ll love. Scroll down to have a watch.

Hugo stars Chloe Moretz​, Jude Law​, Richard Griffiths​, Ben Kingsley​, Christopher Lee​, Sacha Baron Cohen​, Emily Mortimer​, Helen McCrory and Ray Winstone​.

Synopsis: Adapted from the Caldecott-winning Brian Selznick​ novel “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” Hugo is the story of a resourceful boy who lives in a train station and teams up with a spirited young girl to solve a mystery that is based in his past and affects both of their futures.

Hugo is out in UK and US cinemas NOW!

The latest stop on the route to the Final Destination is here and if you get your kicks from pretty people featuring in over the top death scenes and playing a thankless game of Hide and Seek with Death himself then you’ll be in for a treat with the fifth in the series.

My review of the film (out on DVD and Blu-ray on Boxing Day) is right here and it’s safe to say that if you’re a fan of the series then you’ll love what’s on offer here.

The clip we have for you today is taken from the Special Features on the disc and concerns a plot twist which does cast the previous four films in a new light, suffice to say that //Spoiler Warning// if you’ve not seen the film please don’t watch this//Spoiler Warning Over//

Phew.

Also the clip has moments in it which make it a touch NSFW. Use brains and caution if necessary.

Proving the mendacious nature of the previous film’s title (or does it?) we gather around the latest ode to over the top death and dismemberment with Final Destination 5 to enjoy the silliest and goriest installment yet. There’s nothing here to shock and surprise, so closely does it follows its forebears, with the usual pretty young things escaping the clutches of death by scarpering from a phenomenally unlikely fatal accident, delivered with glee from the filmmakers to the delight(?) of the audience, who know exactly what’s going to happen.

I have no problem with a film following a formula, and this particular Final Destination does at least try to throw something new into the mix, and if the film is well made with a hint of wit then I’ll play along, however Final Destination 5 falls into the trap of most of the sequels to the original by making this all about death scene after death scene; playing with the audience’s’ expectations is far enough, and par for the course, but every situation becomes about waiting for the gruesome to occur. We don’t care about the story or the characters, it may as well be a nasty YouTube playlist of cinema’s most outrageous death scenes.

The opening scene is impressive and well handled by Steven Quale and he brings a certain solidity to some of the later scenes but there’s nothing that anyone can inject into the film to make it worthwhile. The actors are playing caricatures bound for an early grave in as many pieces as possible, the writers have worked out how to concoct the most dangerous situations and draw out the gory anticipation to breaking point and so it plays on and on.

Bottom line is if you enjoy watching people die in outlandish ways then you’ll love this, and now that we’ve five films in there’s very little to differentiate this from the last four films, and plastering every death from the series in quick succession over the credits is a sure-fire way to underlining the fact that everything between the fatalities is pointless.

**~~~ (2/5)

Extras

The accompanying documentary is the usual celebration of the splatterfest with an array of talking heads enjoying the even more outrageous deaths they put together for the film, and when they come to the twist, which effectively re-writes the whole series, there’s a lot of back-slapping and talk of how this was integral to the whole film. In truth it’s far less about the twist than they make out though it’s worth a watch to see the production team talk about the effects, the scene on the bridge for example, and this is the subject of the special feature that I did enjoy.

There is a breakdown of the film’s opening scene on the bridge which involves no voiceover, no explanation, no complicated discussion of the problems and pitfalls of shooting such a scene. Instead we have the entire scene cut together without any finished effects and green screens everywhere and in a small picture in a corner the completed scene plays along in synchronicity. This is a great way to watch the scene and take in the massive scale of the work which goes into the process. Not deal breaker stuff, but good to have if you’re a fan.

***~~ (3/5)

We have a date to look forward to people and that date is 17th May 2013 for the sequel to the J.J. Abrams 2009 movie, Star Trek. I say May 17th, that is according to Deadline and no doubt that date with be for the North American market but since it’s 11pm now in the UK, my guess is that most people reading HeyUGuys are in the US so this one is for you!! My hope however is that the UK will get it around the same time, even though it does seem a very long way away.

Deadline report that Paramount have snapped up the date which will fall on pre-Memorial Weekend after the news that Sony have moved Roland Emmerich’s Singularity back to November 2013.

For now, that’s all folks but great to see Star Trek 2 movie forward and oh, by the way, it’s also going to be in 3D! Thoughts on that? I am quite looking forward to seeing The Enterprise flying into my face!

Twentieth Century Fox have released what I believe is the first trailer for the 3D re-release of Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace 3. The movie will be coming back to the cinema February 2012 in glorious 3D to make George Lucas a bit more money just incase he needed it! If you missed it, the first poster for the re-release came out a week or so ago and you can see it here.

Whether you’re an old fan or new, there’s no denying that seeing Star Wars on the big screen is an event not to be missed — especially when it’s the first Star Wars movie to ever be presented in spectacular 3D! The duel with Darth Maul, the harrowing Tatooine Podrace, the first meeting of Artoo and Threepio, and the introduction of the Star Wars Saga’s tragic hero, Anakin Skywalker, are all back in an all-new 3D presentation of Episode I, an experience that promises to truly surround you with the Force! In cinemas February 2012.

So what do we think people? Will you be going back to the cinema to see it yet again or are you completely Star Wars’d out? Let us know in the comments section below.