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Box Office Predictions: Gamer Vs. Extract

Laura Aguirre — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:37:49 +0000

As Labor Day peeks in, a number of films will be hitting theaters this three-day weekend, but who will bring in the big bucks and the number one spot? First up is Gamer, a high-concept action thriller set in the near future when gaming and entertainment clash into one. Sandra Bullock will keep the torch burning with her second romantic comedy (oh, sorry we’re not supposed to call it that, in which case I have no clue what to call it) this summer, All About Steve, which also stars The Hangover‘s Bradley Cooper. And humor takes form in Mike Judge’s Extract starring Jason Bateman.

Who will lead the pack? Let’s take a look…

After his summer’s The Ugly Truth, which ranked at number three on opening weekend and made just over $27.6 million, Gerard Butler is ready to jump back into action films and pull in a lot of male audiences this weekend. His most successful film 300, ranked at number one in 2007, and was a huge hit among massive audiences. Gamer doesn’t seem as promising as the Spartan-based film, but will most likely dominate young male audiences and take home the gold.

Bullock is another leading lady known for her numerous amount of successful romantic comedies — her latest The Proposal has already grossed nearly $270 million worldwide. Also, this summer Cooper surprised us all in the highly successful comedy The Hangover, which ranked at number one opening weekend grossing at $45 million. That being said, I’m not sure anything can save All About Steve. With it’s horrible trailer and even worse reviews, I don’t think anyone is running out to see this film. Chances are it’s going to flop BIG TIME.

The most rewarding film this weekend, and our pick for the number one spot is Extract – with its amazing comedic cast and Judge’s loyal fan base, the film is going to give the big futuristic thriller, Gamer, a run for it’s money. Action films are a dime a dozen, but Judge films only come around every so often.

If this summer has proved anything, it’s that a quality comedy will beat out a mediocre thriller. So…

Our pick: EXTRACT

Prove us right Judge!

Which film will you go see this Labor Day weekend?

Gamer’s at the Farmer’s Market

Mali Elfman — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:51:38 +0000

Nothing like a bit of viral marketing at local Farmer’s Markets to get you in the mood for the bloody action film Gamer starring Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Amber Valletta, and Alison Lohman. Peaches on one side, army boots on the other. Perfect fit really!

The film is set to be released this Friday, September 4th, and in honor of that they have a group of guys in “Gamer” attire, walking around with a poster for the film. At first it looked like the FBI was taking over, that is until they flashed Gerard Butler’s face.

Check out some of the photos below…

If you’ve seen any of the Gamer guys in your area send in your photos or video at press@ucrave.com or leave a comment below and we’ll add them to the site! Bonus points if you can get one of them to pull a fake gun you!

Comic-Con 2009: Interview with Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor, and Terry Crews

Kara — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:20:07 +0000

During the crazy four-day period known as Comic-Con, I was able to attend the press conference for the new action movie Gamer. The movie is about the evolution of video games, where players control people in a Call of Duty-esque game. Gamer was written and directed by Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine, the two guys behind the insanely intense movies Crank and Crank 2.

Actor Terry Crews, was also a part of the press conference, and gave his two cents on the Gamer filming experience. Based on the interview, this movie is guaranteed to be intense, violent, and action-packed. It’s basically everything you could ever want in an action flick!

Check out what they had to say after the jump!

During the press conference, they talked about the new camera they filmed with, the action sequences and why they didn’t use green screens for the film. They also discussed their inspiration for the movie, and their thoughts on video games being adapted into feature films. And by the way, if you can’t tell from the picture above, we got tickets to the gun show. Oh yeah!

You used a new technology while filming this movie. Can you talk more about the RED camera?

MN: It is an awesome little machine. It is a fourcade camera, so the resolution is incredible. We tested it with 35mm, shooting with our crazy high shutter style and we thought it looked much better than with 35mm. It blew us away. Because it is so light, we were able to hop on our rollerblades, hang out of helicopters and do all the crazy stuff that we do. We felt a little bit safer because the camera is only about 18lbs with the lens and matbox as opposed to the 60lbs cameras we are used to.

BT: With the traditional HD camera, that we shot the first Crank movie with, there is a cable that leads from the camera to a lot of machinery, like a digital imaging tech center; so for the shooting that we like to do, it is not really practical. It takes a lot of work to move the rig around at the speed that we like to move it. The RED camera uses compact flash cards, like the ones used in a still camera. You can pull one out and put another one in. We had 200 compact flash cards and we were rotating throughout the shoot. You could just grab that camera and just run with it; we could shoot in a really free style, but with an image that we thought exceeded 35mm. We think it is amazing. We basically beta tested the camera on our movie. This is basically the first big movie shot with that camera. We had one of the first prototypes. A lot of what happened on this set went into building the next generation of the RED camera.

What was it like working with the RED camera?

MN: The compact flash cards were 8GB so it gave us a little over 4 minutes. When we finished a card, we immediately backed it up; we had a Mac on set.

BT: They told us that we could go even higher to 16GB, but you don’t really want anymore than 8GB because it takes a long time to dump onto the computer. We didn’t even need a technician. It was so easy to use. We had a guy with a laptop.

TC: We got to see it right away. It was beautiful.

I read that much of the movie was shot at real locations and not on a green screen. Can you tell us about why you did that?

BT: It is funny because it is a video game, but it is not a video game. The characters that are being controlled are real people in real environments. We didn’t want to create a virtual, fake CG world. It didn’t really make sense. The whole idea is that you are controlling real human beings, so we wanted use real locations as much as we could.

MN: We love to blow shit up; it is our favorite thing in the world. It is fairly inexpensive. To do it onset will save you hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is a little dangerous, but it is fun.

BT: If you have ever been to Albuquerque, the first thing you want to do is blow it up and reduce it to a pile of smoke and rubble. Which is what we did.

Terry, what was it like working with these directors? Did you go into this process with any expectations?

TC: Coming from a lot of comedy, I really wanted to kill the guy from White Chicks. These were just the guys to do it. I love their work because they give people what they want. I was like, “Whatever they tell me to do, I’ll do it.”

MN: We thought they wanted Terry Crews naked, so that’s what we gave them.

TC: I am a big fan of violence. When I saw these guys put a guy on a bike, put him in the air, shoot him, and then blow him up I knew I was in the right movie.

BT: We are big fans of the double kill. You can’t just kill a guy once.

TC: It was an awesome experience, but it was hard work. They pushed me to a whole new level. It is not “movie fire,” it is real fire. I felt better as an actor and moving into the action genre. These guys are the best and I think the end result will speak for itself.

BT: One thing you should know about Terry when you see the movie, (people exaggerate this kind of stuff), but every stunt that you see Terry do, he did it. He did it without a wire, and he put himself at risk. He killed it. He did some stuff that is superhuman. He volunteered to do it and he did it until we got the shot right.

TC: Everybody was pushing it to another level.

Terry, this is your first year at Comic-Con. What are your plans while you are at the convention?

TC: I really want to see what this is about. I am just excited and this is a really refreshing thing. It is good to get out of the LA scene. It is a good group of people to be around and push the envelope in different ways. I think a lot of ideas come out of this thing, so I am hoping to get a few ideas of characters I would like to play in the future.

What video games do you play?

BT: Donkey Kong

MN: Pac-Man. I think the last game I was addicted to was Duck Hunt on Nintendo. We are not big gamers. We played GTA because we were going write it, and I was addicted to that for a few weeks.

Where did you draw your inspiration for the movie?

MN: We were reading about the end of the world and singularity. We also do movies that are fun and ridiculous. We decided to do a movie about a live video game. People are so involved in these realities and playing video games 24/7. People also love watching UFC fights, so we just packed that all into one. If given the chance, would you control another human being? I think a lot of people would. We just put our “Crank” pace all over that.

BT: Our favorite science fiction movies are the ones from the 70s and 80s where there are issues involved. There is some sort of a social framework for it. We wanted to do a throwback to those kinds of movies and you say something about where you are going. There is a central character that was in this case it is Gerard’s character, who is sort of the one man, in the midst of all of it, trying to fight against it.

Did you have any games in mind when you were writing the movie?

MN: We had done a lot of research. We got on Second Life and created our own avatars and really got involved in that.

BT: There are two games in the movie. One of them is a type of social networking game; it is very similar to The Sims or Second Life. That is the game that Amber Valleta is controlled in. It has real people and you are making them, dressing them, putting them into an apartment, and having them dance, hook up, etc. The other game is a combat orientated game that is more like Call of Duty. That is the game that Terry and Gerard [Butler] are embroiled in. There are definitely some similarities to real games.

Did you consult with anybody before making this movie?

BT: We had a couple of sixteen-year-old kids who told us everything we needed to know.

Do you ever encounter any creative differences?

MN: We work so fast that if I feel really strongly about something, Brian agrees to just go try it and see if it works or doesn’t work. We spent so much time getting the project to take shape and talking about it forever. Then we write the treatment, then the outline, and then the movie; we are kind of on the same page. We just don’t have disagreements, maybe what type of shot to do after work. It is like a football huddle for us. We really believe that we are collaborating.

In the movie, who populates the social networking game?

MN: It is actors or people who need to make money. You can control or be controlled.

BT: You can pay to control or paid to be controlled. It is a dark place but it has a candy-coated exterior. The avatars in the game could be compared to the people in the adult industry. They are there voluntarily, but they may not want to be there or they are there as a result of not having many choices in their life.

Were the action sequences more thought out than on your previous films?

BT: We didn’t get to work at the speed we like to move. On Crank 2 we shot 300 hours of footage in 30 days; it was absurd how fast we went. This was a more elaborate movie. We had battle scenes with 200 people and just crazy stuff. There are certain things that you just can’t rush because you will kill people. We had to slow down because of the elaborate things we wanted to do. In terms of the energy and the way we worked with the actors, there still was not a lot of waiting around.

TC: Considering the nature of the material, it helped that you jumped in. You wanted it to feel natural. These guys really contributed to that climate. You jump in and go. If it doesn’t work, then try it again in another way.

MN: That danger, spontaneity, and energy really helped. We all get fired up and do it.

BT: That stuff looks dangerous because it really was. That is the way we have always shot. We don’t want to rely on the CG to make it seem dangerous. We want to put ourselves, our actors, and the camera in peril because we think that is going to translate onto the screen.

TC: Those bombs were going off and shrapnel was falling. There is just no faking it.

What are your thoughts on video games and comic books turning into movies?

MN: There has got to be a story.

BT: I mean, they are going to make an Asteroids movie. Asteroids! On the face of it, it doesn’t really make any sense. It is really going to come down to good stories and good filmmakers making a good movie in whatever inspiration they find.

Would Gamer ever be turned into an actual video game?

MN: Yeah, a lot of people have talked about it. I don’t know. It could happen down the road. It is nothing that we are behind and trying to push. If it happens then I will just give them the address to send a check. If people ask for it, yeah we’ll do it.

BT: Making a game is a big deal; it is kind of like making a movie. Is it going to happen? We don’t know.

Gamer hits theaters on September 4th.

Check out the trailer…

Comic-Con 2009: New Moon, Green Hornet, Gamer Photos

Mali Elfman — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:05:50 +0000

After shoving our way through the packed Comic-Con convention floor we’ve gathered some exclusive photos from the booths promoting, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Green Hornet, Iron Man, Gamer, and more. After fighting for my life I’ve managed to get some nice, high quality images from this year’s Preview Night. There’s a lot to see, so check out our gallery below!

Comic-Con 2009 Promotional Booths

So, what do you think?

Gerard Butler Describes Gamer as Violent and Beautiful

Mali Elfman — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 22:23:16 +0000

With all the summer blockbusters hitting theaters there hasn’t been much buzz for director Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor’s upcoming sci-fi thriller, Gamer starring Gerard Butler, but it sounds like this may be the thriller we’ve been looking for all summer. In a press conference today for The Ugly Truth, Butler revealed some new information about the film including that it’s the perfect combination of violence and art, much like the film he did before with Zack Snyder, 300. Butler states that Gamer “makes 300 look like a picnic in terms of the violence” but then adds that it’s some of an arthouse film and “a beautifully painted dark world.”

Sounds to be like “1984″ meets 300. Could it be that good? Check out Butler said below….

First he talks a little bit more about the plot of the film…

Gerard Butler: Gamer is an action thriller, set just 10-15 years in the future, and is probably based on the idea of a world of Galdiators. Where there’s a world of Gamers which has now taken on a global dimension, and then the avatars that they play, now through a more organic process and nano-technology and all that, can control humans within the game. So, I play a prisoner on death row in a game called “Slayers” who has almost made it to the end, who will be the first ever person to do that.

There’s kind of three different worlds, there’s the world of society which is kind of a second life, where people can go into that world and play out their fantasies. And then., of course, as for the norm for reality television and paper-view it always has to go a step further. So now, we moved on to a kind of Halo,World of Warcraft type of thing. Where it’s like, you know what, we don’t even need war anymore let’s just watch it every night on television, let’s just watch people blow the shit out of each other.

It’s kind of fun for gamers, but at the same time it’s a bit of a comment on the lowering standards that we have in society with the onslaught of technology and (fart noises.)

We basically knew most of that already. When it gets really interesting is when Katherine Heigl starts asking him questions.

Katherine Heigl: Sounds awesome…

Gerard Butler: It’s very entertaining!

Katherine Heigl: When’s it come out?

Gerard Butler: September the something!

Just to give him a hand it’s September 4th. Now we get to the good stuff….

Katherine Heigl: Is it depressing though?

Gerard Butler: It’s not. It’s actually a really fun and entertaining film. Again, tt won’t be for every woman, but I know a lot of women who have seen it and loved it cause it’s got a lot of guy juice you know, it’s got that 300 thing going on, and a lot of women, liked 300 for certain reasons. But at the same time it makes 300 look like a picnic in terms of the violence. But you know, it’s also in a way an arthouse action movie because it’s surprisingly brave in the way it tries to paint the world and doesn’t stop at anything. There’s no short cuts here. It’s a beautifully painted dark world that we’ve got into. And I don’t think anyone has seen anything like that before.

Sounds like we have a lot to be excited for. Check out the trailer below…

Gamer International Trailer

Laura Aguirre — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:24:59 +0000

In the future, you will control the lives of inmates that have been condemned to spend the rest of their lives behind bars by means of video games, according to the upcoming film Gamer starring Gerard Butler and Michael C. Hall. Today we bring you the international trailer which introduces audiences to the basics of this thriller where video gamers will run the lives of humans on death row.

Take a look after the jump…

Originally the film was titled Game, but it was later changed to Gamer which makes a lot more sense because the film is about video gamers taking control of the fate of prisoners. The cast includes Alison Lohman, Milo Ventimiglia, John Leguizamo, Zoe Bell, Keith David, Terry Crews and Kyra Sedgwick, with Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor at the helm. The same directors that brought you the Crank franchise.

I was so excited about this film; seeing Butler come back into the world of action after he made a leap into the rom-com world with films like P.S. I Love You and the upcoming film The Ugly Truth, excited me. But this excitement quickly became scary when I remembered that the directors of the film Neveldine and Taylor were also the co-directors of Crank, one of the most unrealistic and hard to watch films out there. Although this looks like it could be a pretty unique thriller, I’m nervous.

Will this be all an all-action flick with no reason? Or have the two directors matured enough to make a decent thriller? I hope so because Butler’s talent should not go to waste.

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