Furious 7: The Fast Boys Are Back With An Epic Trailer

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Hello guys. How are you? If you have been around for the last decade or so then you’ll probably remember a little film called The Fast and The Furious. Here we are 13 years later and the franchise is still going strong! 

Furious 7 has been one of this year’s most anticipated films. The fans are interested to see what new direction the producers are going to take the film, after suffering the loss of one of its main characters; Brian O’ Conner, played by Paul Walker.

Walker was killed in a high-speed car crash in November of 2013 and the producers, finished filming and wrapped up, despite his death. Walker’s brothers were enlisted to help with key scenes in the movie. One can’t help but think of the recent tragedy involving Heath Ledgers passing, during the production of The Dark Night. The cast and crew for Furious 7 has been together for so long and the Vin Diesel, one of the producers, often referred to the crew as "family". Paul, Tyrese and Vin were all very close; both on and off screen.

But... the show must go on right? Fans were treated to a trailer that can only be summed up in one word: EPIC. If the film promises to be as action packed as the preview, then get ready for a visual feast. The movie is set to hit theaters April 2015 and has already generated a huge buzz.

The Plot:

In this film, the team ends up in Tokyo after learning of their friend Han’s death. They meet Sean Boswell who was also friends with Han. Teaming up with Boswell and some extra allies, they set out to find the person responsible for murdering Han. Enter Ian Shaw, played by Jason Statham.

Jason Statham (the older brother of Owen Shaw, the bad guy from Fast 6) joins the Furious 7 entourage as, the new villain that the cast faces off against. As you may have guessed Shaw is hunting the crew down to avenge the death of his younger brother. Statham is a seasoned action movie star and should be able to hold his own when it comes to the action sequences.

Another addition to the cast is Kurt Russell. He is seen for a brief moment in the preview and has a somewhat ominous air about him. From the 3 seconds he’s in the preview, one can already tell that his character is hard to get a bead on. Russell has even said that his character is staged to be suspicious. He can be seen, kind of, mentoring Dominc Toretto in the preview, so the film may play out the misplaced trust notion. This is just speculation, no spoilers. 

With the passing of Paul Walker, one of the most asked questions by the fans is; what is going to be the fate of Brian O’ Conner? It turns out that O’ Conner will get fitting send off. 

Writer Chris Morgan and director James Wan are reworking the script and using previously shot footage of Walker, to give him a suiting farewell. This will still allow the franchise to continue and, if they want to risk it, they can maybe bring O’ Conner back for a cameo or still involve him with the story in some way. There has even been talk of bringing Paul’s brother Cody on, as a new addition to the crew. In the meantime Walker’s other brother Caleb will be filling in for Paul’s scenes.

The whole process is a really fine line to tread. On the one hand there is a movie that needs to be finished, but in a way that leaves the fans satisfied. On the other hand, no one wants to disrespect the memory of Paul Walker. Giving him a “send off into the sunset” seems like a win-win for everyone.

Furious 7 kicks off with action and story right out of the gate. Two members of the crew are now dead and Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) is injured. Fans can only assume that the story is building up to O’ Conner’s farewell. Dark, would be going a bit too far to describe the tone of this movie, perhaps pensive is a bit better. The fans will get a sense that the family Dominic has worked hard to put together, isn’t as ‘bulletproof’ as they used to be.

Despite the passing of Paul Walker being a huge tragedy, the film looks as though it will not disappoint and be a fitting final role. I'm looking forward to this, for sure. Can't wait!

Have you seen all the movies on this list?

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*by andreascy*

3D Movies: A Passing Fad Or Here To Stay?

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

The film industry has seen its share of ups and downs due to the financial issues impacting economies worldwide in the past decade. 

However, the growth of 3D films, which have commanded higher ticket prices, has buoyed the industry's fortunes through continued profits. Weathering the advent of streaming movies, piracy, and reduced entertainment budgets, filmmakers have put a lot of stock in 3D movies and the potential for enormous profits.

A Modest Beginning

Although modern 3D movies are light years beyond the movies that came out in the 1950s, when the first 3D movies were released, the arrival of 3D in the ‘50s mirrors the reasons why Hollywood and film industries the world over have embraced the technology today. In the 1950s, Hollywood was under attack from the shiny invention of television, and 3D films were supposed to be the answer to falling revenues.

Interestingly, 3D film technology was actually in existence in 1915, but the first significant push didn't happen until the 1950s and its resurgence wasn't felt until after the turn of the millennium. Throughout the last century, there were several efforts to improve the technology and make it palatable for a wide selection of features, such as the rather poor efforts in the 1980s to reintroduce 3D in action-adventure films like "Jaws 3D."

TV and Movie Technology Meet

In a similar fashion today, the film industry has embraced digital filmmaking and 3D technology as a way to make the movies "feel" big when compared to the entertainment experience of a home theater system. Bigger budgets, bigger 3D, and tons of digital special effects have infiltrated summertime movie theaters. The arrival of enormous flat screen televisions with 3D technology that doesn't even require a pair of glasses has shown that even consumer electronics companies have jumped on the 3D bandwagon.

The interesting thing about Hollywood's effort at inundating audiences with 3D movies is that the industry has remained dependent upon home video sales in an era when Internet piracy has eaten strongly into company profits. Although those filmmakers want to see huge box office receipts in theaters, they are also counting upon hefty DVD and Blu-ray sales to boost the bottom line.

Not Just for the Big Blockbusters

Hollywood has certainly embraced 3D technology, and it would appear as though the industry wishes to increase its dominance in today's release schedules. Far from being the domain of $200 million tent-pole movies released in the middle of the summer, 3D movies come in a variety of budgets and genres. Over the past few years, myriad 3D movies have shown up on release schedules, and each year more movies are planned for 3D production.

Ubiquitous Application Potential

One of the interesting facets of development regarding 3D films made in the past decade is that the first films that featured 3D technology were filmed using classic techniques and traditional film cameras, while films created today have been created with digital film cameras for 3D presentation. The impact of this change has meant a smoother implementation of 3D opportunities throughout films rather than the inconsistent application of random scenes where 3D could look good.

Movies based on comic books that feature flying superheroes aren't the only place a moviegoer today will see 3D. Although films with micro-budgets and those that have been made under the banner of independent filmmaking wouldn't be the first place for 3D technology to show up, the technology seems to have spread to midrange budgets. With so many 3D films on the schedule this year, it would seem that 3D technology, and the accompanying higher ticket prices, is here to stay whether the public wants the technology or not.

Author Jake Reynolds is fascinated with technology, be it in films or in 3D Bends and heavy machinery.

*by andreascy*

Science Nation - When to Buy a Ticket

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

We've all been there. You've got a weekend trip coming up, just far enough away that you would like to fly, but when you check the rates - the prices make your eyes pop. And then you see a much cheaper rate for a city on the other side of the country. What's going on? 

With help from the National Science Foundation (NSF), economist Andrew Sweeting at Duke University is researching markets for perishable goods, which includes tickets because they have to be used by a certain date. Sweeting wants to gain a broader understanding of the general economic forces at play in perishable goods markets. 

For example, why do sports tickets drop in price the closer you get to a sporting event, while airline tickets tend to go up closer to the date of departure?

*by andreascy*