Despite some hot-and-heavy old-age sex, Volcano is not going to be many folks’ first choice for a date movie. But Icelandic writer-director Runar Runarsson’s drama is a love story observed with tenderness that never compromises its truthfulness. It will strike affecting chords for anyone who has dealt with a partner or elderly parent’s illness, and the painful decisions that arise from it.

Found through: A friend from Facebook.

The Hollywood Reporter ~ Volcano: Cannes Review is a post from: Ash Digital

ARTIFICIAL PARADISE,INC. from Jp Frenay on Vimeo.

Artificial Paradise, Inc is an experimental film anticipating a future where a major corporation has developed an unique software, based on organic virtual reality, which holds all the lost memories of humankind. A user connects to this database of the forgotten…what is he searching for?

Found through: Bananakin’s Twitter feed

ARTIFICIAL PARADISE,INC. is a post from: Ash Digital

The Avatar trailer came online

Final render?

VFX houses that worked on Avatar

• Framestore CFC
• Gentle Giant Studios
• Giant Studios (motion capture technology provided by)
• Halon Entertainment
• Hybride Technologies
• Hydraulx
• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)
• Pixel Liberation Front
• Stan Winston Studio (character effects)
• Third Floor (pre-visualization)
• Weta Digital

Few Avatar links

:: Official Avatar Website [>]
:: Avatar on IMDB [>]
:: The Avatar Wiki [>]

Avatar Trailer is a post from: Ash Digital

There are a lot more visual effects in this people will know: Change backgrounds, change skies… Paint this out, add this in. Hopefully you won’t notice any of those things.

Found through: Stu’s Twitter feed

Legion – Interview with The Orphanage’s VFX master Scott Stewart is a post from: Ash Digital

The Hunt For Gollum – 40 minute free independent film online is a post from: Ash Digital

The Curious Case of Forrest Gump is a post from: Ash Digital

The Science Behind The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a post from: Ash Digital

The Dark Campaign is a post from: Ash Digital

Viking movie with estimated budget of 40-60 million dollars is in the works. The movie is yet to be named but has the working title “Saga”. The script began as a adaption of the 13th century story of “Njáls saga“, they seem to have drifted away from the story and now it is based loosely on the themes of the old sagas.

The director, Baltasar Kormákur (101 Reykjavik, A Little Trip to Heaven, Jar City, Inhale) is also a co-writer of the movie with writer/actor Ólafur Egilsson. Michelle Chydzik Sowa (26 Films) is reported to be producer.

The movie has been promoted as a “spaghetti-western-viking-movie”. Shooting schedule is estimated about 6 months but the script calls for winter, spring and sumer scenes. The movie will reportedly be shot mostly here in Iceland but I suspect that some scenes might be shot in the fjords of Norway.

From what I can gather the story seems to revolve around vikings, feuds and fiefdom and thrown into the mix are Irish slaves and Papar (Irish Monks who may or may not have inhabitated Iceland early in the 9th century).

This movie would be by far the biggest movie to be made here in Iceland. With the economy as it is this would be a boon for Icelandic film making community as well as Iceland in general to get a movie of this size here in Iceland.

Let’s now just hope it’s not another Beowulf & Grendel.

[ADDITIONAL LINKS [>]

:: Blueeyes Productions [>] – Baltasars Production Company
:: 26 Films on IMDB [>]
:: Njála (wikipedia) [>]

Icelandic Viking movie in the works is a post from: Ash Digital

:: Harry Knowles review on Aintitcool.com [>]
:: Review and comments on the Fantasticfest site [>]
:: Astropia (IMDB) [>]
:: Astropia on Wikipedia [>]
:: Astropia Movie Reviews – Rotten Tomatoes [>]

:: TGTV047 Q&A Astropia [>]
:: Fantastic Fest 2008: Astropia [>]
:: Variety’s Analysis Of The Film Astropia [>]
:: NIFFF 2008 – Gunnar Talks Astropia/Dorks & Damsels [>]
:: Fantastic Fest roundup [>]
:: Movie Digs: Astrópía [>]
:: Tales of the Lascivious, blog that gives Astropia glowing review [>]
:: Astropia: A Little Slice of Joy [>]

Did anyone say… Astropia? is a post from: Ash Digital