To mark the release of Adam Resurrected on DVD 30th January, Trinity Film have given us three copies of the movie to give away. Adam Resurrected is directed by Paul Schrader and stars Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, Derek Jacobi and Ayelet Zurer.

Discover the fearless story of a Holocaust survivor, as the powerful World War II drama ADAM RESURRECTED comes to DVD on 30 January 2012, courtesy of Trinity Films.

This extraordinary tale is masterfully adapted from prize winning author Yoram Kanuik’s 1968 novel and is brought to life by director Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, American Gigolo) with captivating performances from an impressive cast including Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, Independence Day), Willem Dafoe (Spider-man, The English Patient), Derek Jacobi (Gladiator, The King’s Speech) and Ayelet Zurer (Angels and Demons, Vantage Point).

Adam Stein (Goldblum). The funniest man in Germany. And a Jew. Taken to a Nazi concentration camp upon Hitler’s rise to power, Adam faces near-certain death in the gas chamber. Until he is spotted by the camp Commandant who recognises Adam as a performer and for his own sadistic pleasure, offers him a chance of staying alive…by becoming the Commandant’s pet ‘dog’. But as Adam is to discover, this ‘survival’ will come at a terrible price.

Adam Resurrected in released on DVD on 30th January, courtesy of Trinity Films.

To enter the competition, simply click next to be taken to the question and entry form…

Over the past two years or so, there’s been talk of not one but two sequels to Roland Emmerich’s awesome 1996 sci-fi blockbuster, Independence Day, all of which you can catch up on here.

Details about the plot specifics have been kept pretty tightly under wraps, but some interesting details about the project itself have now arisen.

Emmerich spoke to The Lantern this week and it sounds like things are moving forward with the project, and even that we could start to see some concrete traction being made sooner rather than later.

“I’d say hold tight… It’s happening soon.”

Emmerich and his old frequent writing collaborator, Dean Devlin (Independence Day, Godzilla, Stargate), have been working on the scripts and Emmerich is working on rounding up the original cast, which included Will Smith, Bill Pullman, and Jeff Goldblum, all brilliant actors and brilliant in their roles in the first film.

In their report, Collider say that the scripts for both the second and third films in what will become the Independence Day trilogy have been written, but whether or not they’re entirely finished or just semi-fleshed skeletons is unclear in light of Emmerich’s interview earlier this week.

Interestingly, however, they note that Will Smith is asking for somewhere in the range of $50m. to star in both films, which is a pretty high asking price. However, given that the first film made north of $800m., and that was fifteen years ago, unadjusted for inflation, it wouldn’t be too hard a stretch to believe that the two films together would make over a billion dollars between them. And when you consider the plan is to shoot them back-to-back, thus bringing down the budget, Smith’s price tag is probably not an unreasonable percentage of the profits the films will likely go on to make, even if that initial $50m. figure does sound very high.

Though plot details are being kept hush hush, it is thought that despite being filmed back-to-back, the two films will work as standalone films in their own right, linked through a cliffhanger and an overarching plot between them. So whilst the details aren’t especially informative right now, it sounds like the project to bring a second and third film to the big screen is still very much alive.

I love the first film so much, and I’m hoping that if these two do get made, then by the time the third one rolls around, cinemas will offer a six-/seven-hour epic showing of all three films, start-to-finish. Until then, I’ll leave you with this inspirational speech from the first film by Bill Pullman. It’s one of my all-time favourite film speeches that just raises the hairs down my spine no matter how many times I hear it.

“We will not go quietly into the night. We will not vanish without a fight. We’re going to live on. We’re going to survive. Today, we celebrate our Independence Day.”

Cue ridiculously incredible triumphant film score. Enjoy. Be inspired.

Spielberg’s been out of the director’s chair for a little while (since Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls) but is making up for lost time by putting out action-adventure spectacle (Tintin) and serious drama (War Horse) in short succession. It’s like 1993 all over again.

In honour of Spielberg returning to action, here are six of his best.

They are in no particular order and other opinions are available (please share yours in the comments section):-

1. Jaws

As with each film on this list, there is an insurmountable challenge in trying to find something new to say and so it eventually comes down to simply restating what anyone with half a mind already knows to be true, namely that Jaws is one of the finest films of this or any decade, genre or director.

A masterclass in atmosphere-building, working with limited resources and almost debilitating technical problems, Spielberg crafted a film of almost peerless tension, thrills and technical virtuosity. It is difficult to distil its high-points to a manageable few, but the appearance of the shark (nick-named Bruce after Spielberg’s lawyer, a name echoed in Nemo years later) as Roy Scheider chums the waters (“you’re gonna need a bigger boat”), the body popping out of the boat as Richard Dreyfus dives down to a wreck, John Williams’ matchless score as we witness the first strike on a skinny-dipper, the focus pull / dolly zoom on Scheider as he sits on the beach and sees the kid disappear in a plume of crimson and Quint’s fingernails on the blackboard all resonate to this day.

It’s been years since I last watched it, but it never ceases to feel fresh on each repeat viewing. Despite unimaginable leaps and bounds in special effects, Bruce remains an effective and affecting antagonist, even with the afore-mentioned technical difficulties. Although in many ways it is as impersonal and relentless as the truck driver in Duel (the film in Spielberg’s cannon to which this bears closest resemblance), it doesn’t feel as mechanical as a villain without a human face might be expected to be. My 11 year-old son, raised on a steady diet of far superior special-effects and model work has seen Jaws a few times now and he loves it too.

Consider it whole-heartedly recommended by both of us.

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark

Everyone knows the back-story, indeed the Indy series has already been the subject of a Video Vault special on this very site. Spielberg and Lucas, blah-blah, TV serials and cliff-hangers, blah-blah, James Bond, blah-blah. Enough. This is, quite simply, the finest action adventure film ever made.

Others tried to follow in its footsteps with such varied results as Romancing the Stone, King Solomon’s Mines and The Goonies, but nothing comes close. It is impossible to fault the film at any turn. The script is laced with witty one-liners, deft and light exposition and expert myth-building. The set pieces (snakes in the Well of Souls, the truck chase, the South American booby-trap prologue, the face-melting finale) are energetic and thrilling but threaded effortlessly into the narrative, avoiding so much of the stop-start and narrative/geographic incoherence that besets and bests so many modern action films. Harrison Ford has arguably never been better, even as Han Solo and certainly the rest of the cast have never come close to matching these exalted heights.

More fun than any film about Nazis and dusty archeological relics has any right to be, depending on which of Spielberg’s films you have seen most recently, this is likely to be one of your favourites. Simply brilliant.

3. Jurassic Park

Quite how Spielberg managed to avoid getting bogged down, making this and Schindler’s List in parallel, is astounding. In all the ways that Schindler’s List is, quite rightly (and commendably), heavy, serious and deliberate, Jurassic Park is light, lively and entertaining. As ILM had developed the CGI work from Terminator 2 to the point where dinosaurs could be believably rendered and as Stan Winston knew he could deliver believable and dexterous large and small animatronic models, so Spielberg welded his usual technical ability to a story that was both thrilling and intellectually engaging. Although Jeff Goldblum’s considered warnings about the dangers of playing God are quite fleeting in their time on-screen, they nonetheless provide an invaluable over-arching ethical context for the ensuing adventure ride.

The successive sequels (evidence of the law of diminishing returns, if ever it was needed) laid on more dinosaurs and more special effects, but it is this original that remains the most exciting, the most deftly directed, the most narratively propulsive. Holding off with the T-Rex until well into the welcomely brisk running time and giving the raptors their moment too, Spielberg brings all of the elements together perfectly and just compare the CGI-rendering of the dinosaurs to (say) Weta’s work on King Kong. The extent to which the seamless work of ILM has stood the test of time bears testimony to just how far ahead of the curve it was in 1993.

Everything has weight, texture, even personality and it is this that makes the set-pieces work as well as they do – the T-Rex chasing the protagonists through the trees, the raptors in the kitchen, the attack on the hapless Wayne Knight, the lawyer on the toilet. It is thrilling and compelling in every way from beginning to end and after the relatively below-par Spielberg efforts of Always and Hook, an utterly welcome return to form.

4. Schindler’s List

Schindler’s List was famously the project that Spielberg had known about for years but did not feel ready to make until the early 90′s. He had tried to get Roman Polanski to make it, but it felt to close to the nerve for him (though he would eventually channel his own experiences through The Pianist) and so it waited until Spielberg was ready.

Clearly it was worth the wait. Although it is easy to simply batch together a number of Spielberg’s efforts into his “serious” films as opposed to his popcorn entertainment (Amistad, Saving Private Ryan, Empire of the Sun and Munich would accompany Schindler on such a List), Schindler’s List stands head and shoulders above even such exalted company.

On its release on video, one bus stop advert simply quoted a review from the time, “quite simply one of the greatest films ever made”. It is as true now as it was then. Yes, Spielberg could be accused of lapsing into sentimentality for Schindler’s final collapse against his car as the Allies approach, but that is churlish in the extreme. There are sequences of Schindler’s List that are so unflinchingly, unforgivingly and harrowingly shot that it is all you can do to not sob uncontrollably for much of the running time. Liam Neeson was perfectly cast as the conflicted and undoubtedly opportunistic Schindler, but all the plaudits were rightly taken by Ralph Fiennes as Amon Goeth, a monster of a man, capricious, cruel and likely psychopathic, shooting Jews with a sniper rifle from his balcony as if he were merely on a morning stroll.

The first sight of a little girl, hiding from the Warsaw extermination, her red coat deliberately sticking out against the monochrome stock of the rest of the film at first seems like an almost unpardonable gesture of optimism and sentimentality, until we catch sight of that same coat on a conveyor belt, body after body being carried to an incinerator after having been exhumed. What looks for all the world like a beautiful winter snow-storm turns out to be a blanket of ash, blown from the fires of extermination camps. We breathe a sigh of relief as Schindler’s Jews are rescued from Auschwitz and herded back onto their train, only for the camera to pan over to another queue of Jews, headed down into a basement below a chimney that it blowing endless clouds of smoke and ash into the cold night sky. We see industrious children finding hiding places, only to have the wind knocked out of us as those hiding places are revealed to be faeces-filled pit latrines. We tense up as we watch Ben Kingsley’s Itzhak Stern walk across a compound while Goeth takes pot-shots and the camera follows Stern as in the background we see the prostrate forms of those not so fortunate. Blood pumps from skulls, lives and bodies shattered by bullets shot at point-blank range.

What is perhaps most incredible is that amidst such harrowing incidents and details, Spielberg is able to avoid getting bogged down in the bleakness of it all. Yes, of course, a film about the Holocaust was never going to be a laugh riot, but the subject matter is so disturbing, so traumatic, that the occasional moments of levity are an essential respite and it is to Spielberg’s eternal credit that the finished film does not feel tonally inconsistent or abrupt. A quip from Schindler (“if this factory ever produces a shell that can actually be fired, I’ll be very unhappy”), the cathartic release of a seeming gas chamber turning out to be a shower, these interludes, however brief, mercifully leaven an otherwise unmanageable meal. But we must take it and this is why Spielberg had to make the film real but accessible. It is an unenviable task and a seemingly insurmountable one, but he succeeds and we are all the richer for it. An incredible story, imperiously and impeccably told and unchallenged by anything else Spielberg has made before or since.

5. Minority Report

Spielberg came to Minority Report off the back of a relatively “serious” patch, comprising Amistad, Saving Private Ryan and the austere and cold AI:Artificial Intelligence. Tom Cruise was in the middle of an incomparably successful period, having notched up Jerry Maguire, two Missions Impossible, Vanilla Sky and Magnolia in the previous years, before moving on to The Last Samurai, Collateral, War of the Worlds and more Impossible Missioning. It was really one of those seemingly obvious and inevitable joint ventures of stratospheric star and peerless director that made you wonder, “how come this hasn’t happened already?” The end product is a fascinating melding of chase movie, crime drama, sci-fi thriller and philosophical treatise that is arguably as close as Spielberg had come to perfection since his 1993 double whammy almost a decade earlier.

Although Spielberg resolutely refuses to hem in or pin down interpretations of his films through DVD commentaries, the making-of content on Minority Report is thoroughly considered and thought-provoking stuff, with the metaphysical elements (prosecuting someone for something they are destined to do, but have not yet done) having remained at the front of Spielberg’s mind throughout and finding their way front and centre in the final screenplay. Set-pieces such as the scrap with federal agents at the Lexus factory (has Colin Farrell come close to being this good since?), the alleyway run-in with jet-pack wearing Pre-Crime agents, the opening finding and arresting of a murder “suspect” and the escape from the shopping mall with the help of Agatha’s foresight are breathless, with special effects used in the advancing of the story rather than showing off and the silvery-blue cinematography proving evocative rather than distracting.

Were it not for the now inevitable (but nonetheless infuriating) Spielbergian sentimental coda, this could have given Raiders, Jurassic Park and Jaws a literal run for their money in the “which is Spielberg’s best action film” stakes. As it is, his insistence on wrapping it all up with a bow rather takes the shine off what might have otherwise been a sensational film rather than a merely excellent one.

6. Munich

At last, Spielberg seemed to have found a way of telling a serious and compelling story without spiralling into sentimentality at the last. Whether War Horse or Lincoln will be able to show that Spielberg can pull it off more than once remains to be seen. Munich is unlike anything else in Spielberg’s oeuvre.

All of the polish is gone and what we are left with is something gritty, bleak and savage. Consider two stand-out moments. Firstly, Eric Bana’s Avner reuniting with his wife and their desperate, frantic love-making. Avner is clearly somewhere else entirely and the scene plays out as one of a man in utter turmoil, having become someone, something else entirely. Secondly, there is the almost unwatchably personal and frank assassination (murder?) of a female target, shot repeatedly with makeshift weapons in necessarily close-up detail. Spielberg’s point is clear – these are not meaningless Arnie killings, dozens of faceless “baddies” mowed down by machine gun fire. These are people, on both sides, and the killings carry grave and enduring consequences for everyone, as personal vengeance becomes mingled in with the overall mission.

Once again, the cinematography is perfect, a multitude of muddy shades and grainy stocks effortlessly evoking time and space. The tension of the build-up to the assorted hits is superbly crafted, ratcheting the pressure to almost unbearable levels, though Spielberg has the presence of mind (as he did with Schindler’s List) to sweeten the pill with a few welcome lighter moments, that we might be able to digest his more important, over-arching themes. Eric Bana has the most heavy lifting to do, acting-wise as he conveys the sense of a man honouring his sense of duty and national identity, but losing himself and his soul in the process. He presents us with a compelling portrayal of a man who has lost everything in his efforts to do that which he is assured is “right”. But right and wrong have become utterly and helplessly blurred, not by way of a cop-out from Spielberg, but simply because a hopelessly fraught and complicated historical situation has created a world where there is no black and white, only greys.

It is in the finale that perhaps the greatest and most important gut-punch is found. Avner speaks with Geoffrey Rush’s case officer in New York and in the background stand the twin towers of the World Trade Centre. Of course nothing is said regarding them and the inclusion of them is subtle, but the point is clear. Though the events portrayed are rooted in slightly more distant history, the themes and issues could not be more relevant, more resonant for us today. A formidable piece of work from a director who seems able to continue to stretch himself.

Universal Studios have give us this fantastic exclusive featurette to coincide with the Blu-ray release of the greatest dinosaur movie ever made, Jurassic Park. The Blu-ray is released in the UK 24th October. Jurassic Park for me is an all-time classic and I love everything about it. It was ground-breaking on so many levels and I’m so pleased it’s making its way to Blu-ray packed to the rafters with special features (all of which are listed below).

One of those special features is this featurette focusing on the music in Jurassic Park with the title ‘A Whole New Level’. John Williams provides the score for the film and in the featurette, all the sound effects have been stripped to let you see simply the score that plays during a few select scenes. One of those scenes is the raptor kitchen scene which is on the list for one of the most intense scenes ever devised in my opinion! The feature has interviews with John Williams and Joseph Mazzello who both talk about the intensity of the score in the movie. Scroll down and have a watch!

The Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy is released on Blu-ray from 24^th October and you can pre-order your copy here.

 Jurassic Park: A multimillionaire (Richard Attenborough) unveils a new theme park where visitors can observe dinosaurs cloned using advanced DNA technology. But when an employee tampers with the security system, the dinosaurs escape, forcing the visitors to fight for their survival. Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern star in this thrilling, action-packed blockbuster from acclaimed director Steven Spielberg and based on the novel by Michael Crichton.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park: Four years after Jurassic Park’s genetically bred dinosaurs ran amok, multimillionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) shocks chaos theorist Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) by revealing that Hammond has been breeding more beasties at a secret location. Malcolm, his paleontologist ladylove (Julianne Moore) and a wildlife videographer (Vince Vaughn) join an expedition to document the lethal lizards’ natural behavior in this action-packed thriller.

Jurassic Park III: In need of funds for research, Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) accepts a large sum of money to accompany Paul and Amanda Kirby (William H. Macy and Tea Leoni) on an aerial tour of the infamous Isla Sorna. It isn’t long before all hell breaks loose and the stranded wayfarers must fight for survival as a host of new — and even more deadly — dinosaurs try to make snacks of them. Laura Dern, Michael Jeter, Alessandro Nivola and Trevor Morgan co-star.

Special Features:

• New to Blu-ray – ‘Return to Jurassic Park’ – this six-part documentary features all-new interviews with the many of the cast members from all three films, the filmmakers and Steven Spielberg.
• Dawn of a New Era
• Making Pre-history
• The Next Step in Evolution
• Finding The Lost World
• Something Survived
• The Third Adventure

Also:

• The Making of Jurassic Park
• The Making of The Lost World: Jurassic Park
• The Making of Jurassic Park III
• Steven Spielberg Directs Jurassic Park
• Early Pre-Production Meetings
• The World of Jurassic Park
• The Magic of Industrial Light & Magic
• Location Scouting
• Phil Tippett Animatics: Raptors In The Kitchen
• The Jurassic Park Phenomenon: A Discussion with Author Michael Crichton
• Industrial Light & Magic and Jurassic Park: Before and After The Visual Effects
• Industrial Light & Magic and The Lost World: Jurassic Park Before & After
• The Industrial Light & Magic Press Reel
• A Visit to Industrial Light & Magic
• Hurricane in Kauai Featurette
• Dinosaur Turntables
• The Dinosaurs of Jurassic Park III
• Montana: Finding New Dinosaurs
• Animatics: T-Rex Attack
• The Special Effects of Jurassic Park III
• The Sounds of Jurassic Park III
• The Art of Jurassic Park III
• Tour of Stan Winston Studio
• Feature Commentary with Special Effects Team
• Production Archives: Storyboards, Models, Photographs, Design Sketches and Conceptual Drawings
• Deleted Scenes
• Theatrical Trailers

To celebrate the theatrical re-release (23rd September) and the Blu-ray release (October 24th – pre-order your copy here now) of Steven Spielberg’s classic, Jurassic Park, Universal Studios have given us ten fantastic limited edition posters to give away to you lucky people! If you haven’t already entered, we also have the chance for you to see a preview screening of Jurassic Park before anyone else at the VuExteme screen in Vue Cinemas’ flagship cinema in Westfield Shopping centre.

Synopsis: On remote Isla Nuba entrepreneur John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) has built the ultimate theme-park, populated by genetically engineered dinosaurs painstakingly reconstructed from DNA extracted from prehistoric amber… and, of course, frogs! Adapted from Michael Crichton’s novels, Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Parkblockbusters became a cultural and commercial phenomenon thanks in part to the enduring appeal of all things prehistoric. But the films’ extraordinarily realistic digital dinosaurs also showcased the spectacular computer-generated effects that have since become ubiquitous in Hollywood filmmaking. Indeed, in the years since 1993 it is debatable whether any films have revolutionised special effects to such an extent, and this DVD box set offers the perfect opportunity to relive both movies’ visual and aural splendour (the original film was also the first to be released with a DTS soundtrack).

Given their rather insipid human prey (including Dickie Attenborough and Jeff Goldblum) there is little doubt that the dinosaurs are the real stars, from the benign majesty of the towering brachiosaurus to the reptilian menace of the velociraptors. Most memorable of all is the T-rex, displaying a spine-chilling combination of physical ferocity and child-like bewilderment in the face of its reincarnation in the modern world. While Jurassic Park still retains a unique power and a seminal place in film history, Spielberg’s The Lost World sequel exceeds its predecessor in almost every respect: the digital dinos are more populous, faster and meaner, the set-pieces have more bravura, and the special effects raise the benchmark even higher in blending CGI and live action spectacle. Overall, the first film’s sense of awe and almost stately contemplation of its own visual splendour are replaced with a more visceral style and darker tone, as the raptors and rexes attack with a predatory ferociousness more reminiscent of Aliens than Godzilla. Highlights include the T-rexes’ cliff-top assault on a trailer van, the trails of attacking raptors as they move silently through a field of tall grass, and the safari-style dinosaur round-up by the marauding hunters, led by a grizzled Pete Postlethwaite.

To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize, we simply need you to answer the following question using the form below:

Who plays the character Dr. Ian Malcolm in the movie, Jurassic Park?

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close 26th September at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received
• No cash alternative is available

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

Last week, we were über excited to see the new that Universal Studios will be releasing Jurassic Park back into UK cinemas! 23rd September is the date you’re going to be wanting to head down to your local cinema to get a fix of one of the greatest movies made in the past 20 years.

Steven Spielberg’s classic is being re-released in cinemas to celebrate the Blu-ray release of the movie which follows on October 24th. The film has been completely remastered and if the conversion of Back to the Future this time last year is anything to go by, it’s going to be a rather amazing viewing experience!

We put up the trailer last week but it was in rubbish standard definition so I got in touch with Universal and asked them to send over the trailer in HD which they have very kindly done so, without further ado, here’s the Jurassic Park Trailer in full (nearly! – 1080p) high definition!

I think I may have actually felt a little bit of wee come out earlier when we heard the news that the legendary legends (!) from Universal Studios have decided to bring Jurassic Park back to the cinema! They did it with Back to the Future and it as one of the best cinematic experiences I’ve ever had!

We were all geared up for the Blu-ray release but not we find out that it’s coming back to the cinema. I don’t usually like putting up press releases in full because they can often be boring BUT anything to do with Jurassic Park being remastered and coming to the big screen is far from boring! There’s also a few pics of the full box set which I’ve placed below so scroll down and read on to find out all your need to know about one of the greatest films of all time coming back to the cinema and on a Blu-ray Disc near you!

Jurassic Park to be Re-Released in Cinemasfrom September 23^rd, 2011 to Celebrate the Launch of this Ground-Breaking Trilogy on Blu-ray^™

 All Three Epic Adventures from Filmmaker Steven Spielberg Plus More Than Two Hours of All-New Bonus Features

Available on Blu-ray^™ For the First Time Ever On October 24, 2011

LONDON, August 27, 2011 – Universal Pictures UK is pleased to announce that Jurassic Park, the first film from Steven Spielberg’s famous trilogy will be re-released on Friday, September 23^rd, 2011 in UK cinemas to celebrate the launch of all three films on Blu-ray^™.

One of the most anticipated motion-picture trilogies of all time Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III will debut as a trilogy set on Blu-ray^™ October 24^th 2011 from Universal Pictures International Home Entertainment. Acclaimed filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s award-winning cinematic franchise, based on the best-selling book by  Michael Crichton, generated nearly $2 billion combined at the worldwide box office and featured groundbreaking visual effects that changed the art of movie-making forever. Now, all three epic films have been digitally restored and remastered in flawless high definition for the ultimate viewing experience. In addition, the films’ visceral sound effects and the unforgettable music from legendary composer John Williams can now be heard in pristine 7.1 surround sound.  This collectible three-movie set also features hours of bonus features, including an all-new, six-part documentary and digital copies of all three films that can be viewed on an array of portable devices anytime, anywhere.  The Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy is also available in a spectacular Limited Edition Gift Set, Ultimate Collector’s Gift Set and on DVD.

The Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy features an all-star cast including Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson, Richard Attenborough, Ariana Richards, Joseph Mozzello, Julianne Moore, Vince Vaughn, William H. Macy and Tea Leoni.  In addition to the talented cast of actors, the Trilogy features stars of a different magnitude—from the huge Tyrannosaurus rex to the vicious Velociraptor, the Jurassic Park films showcase an extraordinary level of realism and technical innovation brought to life by a talented design team which include: Stan Winston, Live Action Dinosaurs; ILM’s Dennis Muren, Full Motion Dinosaurs; Phil Tippett, Dinosaur Supervisor; Michael Lantieri, Special Dinosaur Effects and Special Visual Effects by Industrial Light & Magic.

 ————–

ALL-NEW BONUS FEATURES ON BLU-RAY^™

• “Return to Jurassic Park” – this six-part documentary features all-new interviews with many of the cast members from all three films, the filmmakers and Steven Spielberg.
  • Dawn of a New Era
  • Making Pre-history
  • The Next Step in Evolution
  • Finding The Lost World
  • Something Survived
  • The Third Adventure

·         BD-LIVE^™: Access the BD-Live™ Centre through your Internet-connected player to watch exclusive content, the latest trailers, and more!

• MY SCENES:  Bookmark your favorite scenes from the film.
• pocket BLU^™: The groundbreaking pocket BLU^™ app uses iPad^®, iPhone^®, iPod^® touch, Android^™, PC and Mac^® to work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-ray^™ player.  Plus iPad^® owners can enjoy a new, enhanced edition of pocket BLU™ made especially to take advantage of the tablet’s larger screen and high resolution display.  Consumers will be able to browse through a library of Blu-ray^™ content and watch entertaining extras on-the-go in a way that’s bigger and better than ever before.  pocket BLU^™offers advanced features such as:
  • ADVANCED REMOTE CONTROL: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray^™ player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live^™ functions with ease.
  • VIDEO TIMELINE:  Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the film.
  • MOBILE-TO-GO:  Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray^™ discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy content on the go, anytime, anywhere.
  • BROWSE TITLES:  Users will have access to a complete list of pocket BLU^™-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray^™.  They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.
  • KEYBOARD:  Entering data is fast and easy with your device’s intuitive keyboard.

 

Other Blu-ray^™ bonuses include:

• The Making of Jurassic Park
• The Making of The Lost World: Jurassic Park
• The Making of Jurassic Park III
• Steven Spielberg Directs Jurassic Park
• Early Pre-Production Meetings
• The World of Jurassic Park
• The Magic of Industrial Light & Magic
• Location Scouting
• Phil Tippett Animatics: Raptors In The Kitchen
• The Jurassic Park Phenomenon: A Discussion with Author Michael Crichton
• Industrial Light & Magic and Jurassic Park: Before and After The Visual Effects
• Industrial Light & Magic and The Lost World: Jurassic Park Before & After
• The Industrial Light & Magic Press Reel
• A Visit to Industrial Light & Magic
• Hurricane in Kauai Featurette
• Dinosaur Turntables
• The Dinosaurs of Jurassic Park III
• Montana: Finding New Dinosaurs
• Animatics: T-Rex Attack
• The Special Effects of Jurassic Park III
• The Sounds of Jurassic Park III
• The Art of Jurassic Park III
• Tour of Stan Winston Studio
• Feature Commentary with Special Effects Team
• Production Archives: Storyboards, Models, Photographs, Design Sketches and Conceptual Drawings
• Deleted Scenes
• Theatrical Trailers

 

BONUS FEATURES ON DVD

• The Making Of Jurassic Park
• Early Pre-Production Meetings
• Location Scoutings
• Phil Tippet Animatics Raptors In the Kitchen
• Foley Artists
• Theatrical Trailers
• Dinosaur Encyclopedia
• Storyboards
• Production Photographs
• Production Notes
• Talent Profiles
• The Making Of The Lost World: Jurassic Park
• Deleted Scenes
• Jurassic Park Theatrical Trailer
• The Lost World Theatrical Trailer
• Jurassic Park III Theatrical Trailer
• Marketing: Posters & Toys
• Industrial Light & Magic
• The World of Jurassic Park
• Illustrations & conceptual drawings
• Models
• The Making of Jurassic Park III
• News Dinosaurs of Jurassic Park III
• Tour of the Stan Winston Studio
• A Visit to ILM (include concepts/ process/ muscle/ simulation/ compositing)
• Montana: finding New Dinosaurs
• Behind-the-Scenes (Spinosaurus Attacks the Plane/ Raptors Attack Udesky/ The Lake)
• Storyboards to final feature comparison (Lake/ The Aviary/ Boat Attack)
• Jurassic Park III Archives (Production Photographs & Poster Gallery)
• DVD ROM Features
• Dinosaur Turntables
• Feature Commentary
• Jurassic Park Trailer
• The Lost World Trailer
• Jurassic Park III Trailer

SYNOPSIS

From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg, the Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy is one of the most successful film franchises in worldwide box-office history. On a remote tropical island, an amazing living theme park becomes a game of survival for humans foolhardy enough to set foot on it. Meticulously recreated dinosaurs spring to astonishing life as the film’s breathtaking special effects and thrilling action sequences keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Each chapter of the history-making saga delivers even more action and spectacular visual effects than its predecessor, as nature’s ultimate killing machines once again rule the earth. Almost 20 years after its inception, the Jurassic Park Trilogy remains an unmatched cinematic experience.

Jurassic Park

A multimillionaire (Richard Attenborough) unveils a new theme park where visitors can observe dinosaurs cloned using advanced DNA technology. But when an employee tampers with the security system, the dinosaurs escape, forcing the visitors to fight for their survival. Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern star in this thrilling, action-packed blockbuster from acclaimed director Steven Spielberg and based on the novel by Michael Crichton.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Four years after Jurassic Park’s genetically bred dinosaurs ran amok, multimillionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) shocks chaos theorist Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) by revealing that Hammond has been breeding more beasties at a secret location. Malcolm, his paleontologist ladylove (Julianne Moore) and a wildlife videographer (Vince Vaughn) join an expedition to document the lethal lizards’ natural behavior in this action-packed thriller.

Jurassic Park III

In need of funds for research, Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) accepts a large sum of money to accompany Paul and Amanda Kirby (William H. Macy and Tea Leoni) on an aerial tour of the infamous Isla Sorna. It isn’t long before all hell breaks loose and the stranded wayfarers must fight for survival as a host of new — and even more deadly — dinosaurs try to make snacks of them. Laura Dern, Michael Jeter, Alessandro Nivola and Trevor Morgan co-star.

www.jurassicpark.com

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TECHNICAL INFORMATION BLU-RAY™:

Street Date: October 24, 2011

Releasing on:   Blu-ray Trilogy & Digital Copy RRP £49.99

Limited Collector’s Edition £59.99

Ultimate Collector’s Gift Set £89.99

Copyright: 2011 Universal Pictures International Entertainment

Selection Number:

Layers: BD-50

Aspect Ratio: Widescreen, 1.85:1

Rating: PG-13

Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles

Sound: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French 2.0, English SDH, Spanish Subtitles

Run Time: Jurassic Park – 2 hours, 7 minutes

The Lost World: Jurassic Park – 2 hours, 9 minutes

Jurassic Park III – 1 hour, 33 minutes

 

TECHNICAL INFORMATION DVD

Street Date: October 24, 2011

Copyright: 2011 Universal Pictures International Entertainment

Selection Number: 61114696

Layers: Dual

Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1

Rating: PG-13

Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, French & Spanish

Sound: English, French & Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1

Run Time: Jurassic Park – 2 hours, 7 minutes

The Lost World: Jurassic Park – 2 hours, 9 minutes

Jurassic Park III – 1 hour, 33 minutes

 

 

Jurassic Park

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Produced By: Kathleen Kennedy and Gerald R. Molen

 

Screenplay By: Michael Crichton and David Koepp

Based on the Novel By: Michael Crichton

Director of Photography: Dean Cundey

Production Designer: Rick Carter

Film Edited By: Michael Kahn, ACE

Music By: John Williams

Live Action Dinosaurs: Stan Winston

Full Motion Dinosaurs By: Dennis Muren, ASC

Special Dinosaur Effects: Michael Lantieri

Dinosaur Supervisor: Phil Tippett

Special Visual Effects: Industrial Light & Magic

Cast: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero, B.D. Wong, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight, Joseph Mazzello, Ariana Richards

 

The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Produced By: Gerald R. Molen and Colin Wilson

Screenplay By: David Koepp

Based on the Novel “The Lost World” By: Michael Crichton

Executive Producer: Kathleen Kennedy

Director of Photography: Janusz Kaminski, ASC

Production Designer: Rick Carter

Film Editor: Michael Kahn, ACE

Music By: John Williams

Live Action Dinosaurs: Stan Winston

Full Motion Dinosaurs By: Dennis Muren, ASC

Special Dinosaur Effects: Michael Lantieri

Special Visual Effects: Industrial Light & Magic

Cast: Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore, Pete Postlethwaite, Arliss Howard

 

Jurassic Park III

Directed By: Joe Johnston

Produced By: Kathleen Kennedy, Larry Franco

Written By: Peter Buchman and Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor

Based on Characters Created By: Michael Crichton

Executive Producer: Steven Spielberg

Director of Photography: Shelly Johnson, ASC

Production Designer: Ed Verreaux

Editor: Robert Dalva

New Music By: Don Davis

Original Themes By: John Williams

Live Action Dinosaurs: Stan Winston Studio

Animation and Special Visual Effects By: Industrial Light & Magic

Cast: Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Tea Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, Trevor Morgan, Michael Jeter

Harrison Ford puts down his whip and exchanges it for a mic and a serious bad attitude to star alongside Sherlock Holmes squeeze Rachel McAdams and Diane Keaton (no stranger to this genre) for newsroom comedy Morning Glory.

McAdams is a young, spirited TV producer Becky Fuller, who we first witness being let go from her New Jersey morning show when the company is forced to downsize. She manages to score a job on below-par morning news show Daybreak (any similarities between its real-life, almost identical UK doppelganger is entirely coincidental). Haemorrhaging viewers by the week, the young executive immediately resolves to turn around the show’s dwindling audience and promptly fires female presenter Colleen Peck’s (Keaton – relaxed and graceful) boorish and pervy co-anchor, and hires Mike Pomeroy (Ford), a veteran newscaster who bemoans the position he’s found himself, doing his best to sabotage Fuller’s best efforts by generally behaving like a old, petty curmudgeon (at one point he refuses to utter the word “fluffy”, claiming he’s offended by it!).

Fuller soon finds herself as referee between Peck and Pomeroy while struggling to maintain a relationship with a fellow employee (played by Watchmen’s Patrick Wilson), to save her reputation, her job and ultimately, the show itself.

Can you guess the outcome? Sure, Morning Glory may be predictable and a tad formulaic, but despite this (and having a soundtrack that sounds like it’s been sourced from Magic FM), these minor shortcomings never distract from all the fun to be had here. It’s the kind of light comedy that Hollywood does so well with the right kind of talent attached, and the film certainly comes with a solid pedigree of talent in front, and behind, the camera. Although not an obvious choice of film to brandish the Bad Robot insignia when it springs up pre-credits, Producer J.J. Abrams (Alias, Lost and Star Trek) certainly has his fingerprints over the production – from its tight and economical pacing, it the choices made in casting and direction.

Roger Michell is no stranger to this type of mainstream populist comedy (he fully cemented Hugh Grant’s reputation as Brit love interest for hire in Notting Hill) and like that film, he possesses the same, sure-footed approach here. It’s also no surprise to learn that the film was scripted by The Devil Wears Prada’s Aline Brosh McKenna. We have the same device of the plucky woman trying to make it regardless of her older, seasoned colleagues.

McAdams is her usual, appealing down-to-earth self. It’s a performance which really has you rooting for her character, as she desperately battles to improve on audience figures, whilst faced with the daily tribulation of trying to appease and pacify her two anchors. Her sweet determined nature shines through.

The biggest success casting-wise however is Ford, who is more fun here than he has been in decades, playing the pompous and cranky veteran who speaks in a perpetual growl and can’t help but continuously refer back to the more distinguished and prestigious past career he’s lived. The character could have so easily fallen into a clichéd look at bitterness and arrogance, but Ford is never OTT. His delivery is pitched perfect and his constant putdowns are often extremely biting, yet incredibly funny. It’s also nice to see that the makers don’t try and shoe-horn in a late romance between him and Keaton either.

The film loses a little narrative grip towards the end (and some of its bite) when McAdams is able to push through Pomeroy’s tough exterior to find a wounded soul underneath, but it’s to the actor’s credit (especially Ford) that it doesn’t turn into an out and out mushfest!

Bolstered by an appealing supporting cast (which also includes Jeff Goldblum as McAdams’ exasperated boss), in many ways Morning Glory is conventional, sugar-coated Hollywood fare, but it’s never less than thoroughly enjoyable.

Morning Glory is released in the UK cinemas TODAY!

***~~ (3/5)

We posted the first UK poster for Paramount’s Morning Glory a few months ago but another has just been released and the studio have kindly given it to us to share with the world!

Morning Glory is helmed by director of Notting Hill, Roger Michell and has an all-star cast which includes Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Patrick Wilson and Jeff Goldblum. If you’ve not seen the trailer for the movie, you can check it out here.

Synopsis: When hard-working TV producer Becky Fuller (McAdams) is fired from a local news program, her career begins to look as bleak as her hapless love life. Stumbling into a job at “Daybreak” (the last-place national morning news show), Becky decides to revitalize the show by bringing on legendary TV anchor Mike Pomeroy (Ford). Unfortunately, Pomeroy refuses to cover morning show staples like celebrity gossip, weather, fashion and crafts – let alone work with his new co-host, Colleen Peck (Keaton), a former beauty queen and longtime morning show personality who is more than happy covering morning “news.” As Mike and Colleen clash, first behind the scenes and then on the air, Becky’s blossoming love affair with fellow producer, Adam Bennett (Wilson) begins to unravel – and soon Becky is struggling to save her relationship, her reputation, her job and ultimately, the show itself.

The movie hits UK cinemas 21st January. Check out the brand new poster below and click it to enlarge.

Here’s the French poster for Morning Glory, a new romantic comedy set in the world of morning television. Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton star, along with Patrick Wilson and Jeff Goldblum

The film is directed by Roger Michell (no stranger to the genre, having directed Notting Hill), and is written by another rom-com expert Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada, 27 Dresses).

Trivia fans maybe interested to learn that the film’s producer (Star Trek’s J.J. Abrams) actually received his first screen credit was on another Harrison Ford feature, Regarding Henry, almost twenty years ago.

US Box office returns have been far from great, but the film has received some good critical notices, and the all-star cast should guarantee a decent number of bums on seats when the film is released in the UK on the 21 January.

Poster from IMP Awards.

Yahoo have released this nice little featurette which takes us behind the scenes of Morning Glory and tells us a little more about the cast who are in it. The movie is directed by Roger Michell and stars Harrison Ford, Rachel McAdams, Patrick Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, Diane Keaton, 50 Cent and Neil James.

Synopsis: When hard-working TV producer Becky Fuller (McAdams) is fired from a local news program, her career begins to look as bleak as her hapless love life. Stumbling into a job at “Daybreak” (the last-place national morning news show), Becky decides to revitalize the show by bringing on legendary TV anchor Mike Pomeroy (Ford).

Unfortunately, Pomeroy refuses to cover morning show staples like celebrity gossip, weather, fashion and crafts – let alone work with his new co-host, Colleen Peck (Keaton), a former beauty queen and longtime morning show personality who is more than happy covering morning “news.” As Mike and Colleen clash, first behind the scenes and then on the air, Becky’s blossoming love affair with fellow producer, Adam Bennett (Wilson) begins to unravel and soon Becky is struggling to save her relationship, her reputation, her job and ultimately, the show itself.

Morning Glory should be with UK audiences 21st January.

I decided not to be so childish with the title of this post as I was with the last! Empire Magazine have posted this new UK poster for Morning Glory, the new movie to star Harrison Ford, Rachel McAdams, Patrick Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, Diane Keaton, 50 Cent and Neil James.

This does just seem to be pretty much a montage of the others released a while back which you can see here.

The movie has been written by The Devil Wears Prada’s Aline Brosh McKenna and Notting Hill’s Roger Michell so the marrying together of two very respected talents could lead to something brilliant!

Synopsis:

When hard-working TV producer Becky Fuller (McAdams) is fired from a local news program, her career begins to look as bleak as her hapless love life. Stumbling into a job at “Daybreak” (the last-place national morning news show), Becky decides to revitalize the show by bringing on legendary TV anchor Mike Pomeroy (Ford).

Unfortunately, Pomeroy refuses to cover morning show staples like celebrity gossip, weather, fashion and crafts – let alone work with his new co-host, Colleen Peck (Keaton), a former beauty queen and longtime morning show personality who is more than happy covering morning “news.” As Mike and Colleen clash, first behind the scenes and then on the air, Becky’s blossoming love affair with fellow producer, Adam Bennett (Wilson) begins to unravel and soon Becky is struggling to save her relationship, her reputation, her job and ultimately, the show itself.

Morning Glory should be with UK audiences 21st January.

Over the weekend I put up a few new posters that Paramount had released for their new movie, Morning Glory. Today I’ve found this new batch of images for the movie on French website, Allocine.fr.

Morning Glory stars Harrison Ford, Rachel McAdams, Jeff Goldburm and Diane Keaton and from what we’ve seen in the trailers, this movie could be rather amusing! The movie has been written by The Devil Wears Prada’s Aline Brosh McKenna and Notting Hill’s Roger Michell so the marrying together of two very respected talents could lead to something brilliant!

Synopsis:

When hard-working TV producer Becky Fuller (McAdams) is fired from a local news program, her career begins to look as bleak as her hapless love life. Stumbling into a job at “Daybreak” (the last-place national morning news show), Becky decides to revitalize the show by bringing on legendary TV anchor Mike Pomeroy (Ford).

Unfortunately, Pomeroy refuses to cover morning show staples like celebrity gossip, weather, fashion and crafts – let alone work with his new co-host, Colleen Peck (Keaton), a former beauty queen and longtime morning show personality who is more than happy covering morning “news.” As Mike and Colleen clash, first behind the scenes and then on the air, Becky’s blossoming love affair with fellow producer, Adam Bennett (Wilson) begins to unravel and soon Becky is struggling to save her relationship, her reputation, her job and ultimately, the show itself.

Morning Glory should be with UK audiences 7th January. Click the images below to enlarge!

Hollywood.com (and thanks to Firstshowing for the heads up) have debuted three new posters for Morning Glory which stars Harrison Ford, Rachel McAdams, Jeff Goldburm and Diane Keaton. From what we’ve seen in the trailers, this movie could be rather amusing!

The movie has been written by The Devil Wears Prada’s Aline Brosh McKenna and Notting Hill’s Roger Michell so the marrying together of two very respected talents could lead to something brilliant!

Synopsis:

When hard-working TV producer Becky Fuller (McAdams) is fired from a local news program, her career begins to look as bleak as her hapless love life. Stumbling into a job at “Daybreak” (the last-place national morning news show), Becky decides to revitalize the show by bringing on legendary TV anchor Mike Pomeroy (Ford).

Unfortunately, Pomeroy refuses to cover morning show staples like celebrity gossip, weather, fashion and crafts – let alone work with his new co-host, Colleen Peck (Keaton), a former beauty queen and longtime morning show personality who is more than happy covering morning “news.” As Mike and Colleen clash, first behind the scenes and then on the air, Becky’s blossoming love affair with fellow producer, Adam Bennett (Wilson) begins to unravel and soon Becky is struggling to save her relationship, her reputation, her job and ultimately, the show itself.

Morning Glory should be with UK audiences 7th January. Click the images below to enlarge should you wish!

Like moths to an eternal flame the great and good of Hollywood seem to orbit romantic comedies in an endless cycle and Morning Glory has bagged Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton to lead.

However, behind the gloss there’s a great combination of writer and director, The Devil Wears Prada’s Aline Brosh McKenna and Notting Hill’s Roger Michell respectively so decent things are expected. Plus there’s Jeff Goldblum in a similar supporting turn to his role the Aniston/Bateman film The Switch, and Rachel McAdams smiling a lot, which is nice.

We’ve seen a similar trailer before but there’s more to enjoy in the new trailer, which you can see below.

Right, all we need now before the trailer is a long synopsis to pour over.

When hard-working TV producer Becky Fuller (McAdams) is fired from a local news program, her career begins to look as bleak as her hapless love life. Stumbling into a job at “Daybreak” (the last-place national morning news show), Becky decides to revitalize the show by bringing on legendary TV anchor Mike Pomeroy (Ford).

Unfortunately, Pomeroy refuses to cover morning show staples like celebrity gossip, weather, fashion and crafts – let alone work with his new co-host, Colleen Peck (Keaton), a former beauty queen and longtime morning show personality who is more than happy covering morning “news.” As Mike and Colleen clash, first behind the scenes and then on the air, Becky’s blossoming love affair with fellow producer, Adam Bennett (Wilson) begins to unravel and soon Becky is struggling to save her relationship, her reputation, her job and ultimately, the show itself.

Blimey. Here’s the trailer.

Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman have a brand new movie coming out called The Switch and our friends from Upbeat got talk to them about it. It also stars Juliette Lewis, Patrick Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, Caroline Dhavernas and is directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon.

Synopsis: An unmarried 40-year-old woman turns to a turkey baster in order to become pregnant. Seven years later, she reunites with her best friend, who has been living with a secret: he replaced her preferred sperm sample with his own.

You can check out the interviews with the two main stars below.

The Switch is released in UK cinemas 1st September and you can read our review of the movie here.

Lionsgate UK have just sent us this brand new trailer and some new images for Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman’s new movie, The Switch which is directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck and is released in the UK 3rd September.

The movie also stars Patrick Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, Juliette Lewis, Caroline Dhavernas, Scott Elrod, Todd Louiso and Kelli Barrett.

Synopsis: Kassie (Aniston – Friends, The Break-Up, The Bounty Hunter) is a smart, fun loving, single woman who decides she wants a baby. Despite her neurotic best friend Wally’s (Bateman – Arrested Development, Juno, Up In The Air) objections, she chooses to go for this on her own and opts for the services of a charming sperm donor (Wilson – Watchmen, Hard Candy). Unbeknownst to Kassie, her plans go awry when Wally drunkenly makes a last minute switch that isn’t discovered until seven years later when he finally meets her precocious – though slightly neurotic – son. The Switch, the most unexpected comedy ever conceived.

Click the images below to enlarge or scroll down to check out the new trailer.

The director of Morning Glory, Roger Michell, has some impressive work behind him, with Enduring Love and the Peter O’Toole drama Venus his recent work, and his Richard Curtis scripted Notting Hill points to this new comedy which is being produced by J.J. Abrams.

It’s the team of Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton that attracts the most here, while the story of TV executives and disobedient co-stars is as old as the hills, it’s the cast and the writer Aline Brosh McKenna, whose Devil Wears Prada adaptation seems to suggest a suitable fit for the story, that will determine if this one can be elevated from the surfeit of glossy comedies.

The trailer is right here, and there’s a shiny HD version over at Apple.

In November last year we wrote up the story that Destroyer of Worlds Roland Emmerich was talking up two sequels to his 1996 alien face off movie Independence Day.

Now the good guys at IESB are reporting the rumour that Will Smith has signed on to star in the two films, and that the two films could shoot back to back as early as 2011.

Getting Smith back on board would guarantee that Fox would greenlight ID4 Parts 2 and 3, and in the fifteen or so years since the original film the CGI technology has improved so much that we are certain to see a whole lot more of Emmerich’s epic destruction as shown in 2012.

There will surely be alien homeworlds, and enormous motherships descending once again, and I’d personally like to see Emmerich return to the scarred world of ID4 fifteen years after, and give us a proper post-apocalyptic tale (with plucky dogs).

I enjoyed Emmerich’s recent 2012 for all its CG bombast and silliness, and the news last night that Godzilla is about to roar back onto our screens now seems the perfect time for Emmerich and Dean Devlin to return to the film which made their names.

What do you think? Are you keen to see another Independence Day?

Originally titled The Baster, for reasons that will become obvious, The Switch is a forthcoming comedy starring Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston and Jeff Goldblum.

The trailer appears to pretty much give away the whole film but this looks like a pretty by-the-numbers romantic comedy so if you know the premise you can probably take a good guess at where the plot goes anyway. I can’t see much in the trailer that suggests that this is going to be anything particularly interesting or funny. What do you think?

The official synopsis is as follows

JENNIFER ANISTON stars alongside JASON BATEMAN in this offbeat comedy as Kassie, a smart, fun-loving single woman who, despite her neurotic best friend Wally’s (BATEMAN) objections, decides it’s time to have a baby—even if it means doing it by herself … with a little help from a charming sperm donor (PATRICK WILSON). But, unbeknownst to her, Kassie’s plans go awry because of a last-minute switch that isn’t discovered until seven years later when Wally finally gets acquainted with Kassie’s cute— though slightly neurotic—son.

The US release date is set for 20th August 2010 with no UK release date scheduled yet.