Fans of The Pirates of the Carribean franchise and the amazing visuals produced for the films by pioneering FX company Industrial Light and Magic will be in their element at the new ’show’ section of their website.

ILM have launched the online feature to provide an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the amazingly life-like digital artistry of ILM used in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. The mini-site is divided into a number of fascinating sections with visual FX demonstrations, a ‘Real or ILM’ section which challengers visitors to spot the difference between real and computer-generated imagery and several downloads. We highly recommend a visit. Click here to watch the show.

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Posted in Movies, Pirates •

On Sunday evening, the first half of Sky One’s two-part adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s fantasy novel Hogfather will be broadcast on UK television.

The show, the first live-action film adaptation of a Discworld novel has been put into an 8pm timeslot and is aimed at an adult audience. The series will tell the story of the Hogfather (the Discworld equivalent to Father Christmas), who goes missing, forcing Death to take his place. The cast of the Hogfather is led by perhaps Britain’s favourite television actor David Jason, playing Albert, with support from Ian Richardson as the voice of Death, Michelle Dockery as Susan, Marc Warren, Joss Ackland and David Warner. Pratchett will appear in a cameo as a toymaker.

The visual effects for the show have been produced by The Moving Picture Company, one of the largest digital FX outfits in Europe.

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Posted in Television •

MGM has released the first teaser trailer for the Manhunter/Red Dragon prequel movie Hannibal Rising. Click here to watch.

The film is about Hannibal Lecter’s formative years and sees him emerge from the nightmare of the Eastern Front, a boy in the snow, mute, with a chain around his neck. He seems utterly alone, but he has brought his demons with him. Hannibal’s uncle, a noted painter, finds him in a Soviet orphanage and brings him to France, where Hannibal will live with his uncle and his uncle’s beautiful and exotic wife, Lady Murasaki. Lady Murasaki helps Hannibal to heal. With her help he flourishes, becoming the youngest person ever admitted to medical school in France. But Hannibal’s demons visit him and torment him. When he is old enough, he visits them in turn. He discovers he has gifts beyond the academic, and in that epiphany, Hannibal Lecter becomes death’s prodigy.

Hannibal Rising stars Gaspard Ulliel as Hannibal, Gong Li as Lady Murasaki and Helena Lia Tachovska as Mischa. The movie is directed by Peter Webber with a screenplay by the author, Thomas Harris.

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Posted in Movies •