'Cloud Atlas': Now That Is A Movie Trailer!!!

Wow... wow! There has rarely been a time when i watched a movie trailer and was completely blown away and immediately drawn to a film in the way I am to Cloud Atlas, the new film from producer The Wachowski  Brothers & Tom Twyker. I have been hearing about this epic undertaking of a story for quite a few years, and I have been a bit intrigued. But after seeing the 1st trailer, I am all in. Why you ask? Well, it could be the cast. Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Hugh Grant, Susan Saradon... yeah, that is a pretty good start. Tom Twyker (director of the fantastic Run Lola, Run) and the Watchowski Brothers (creators & directors of The Matrix) are a great start as well. But that is not it... it is the 6 MINUTE FUCKING TRAILER!!!!! HOLY SHIT!!!! I have never, ever, ever seen a 6 minute trailer. A 3 minute trailer is usually referred to as extended.... what is a 6 minute trailer? It is epic!!!! Now I don't know exactly if this complex, time jumping storyline is going to end up awesome or end up being crapped on... but I know that this trailer has at least got my interest  up. I have often heard that the original book would be one of the hardest books to convert to film, but that didn't stop Twyker and the W brothers from giving it a college try. Check out the trailer (mini movie is more like it), poster, and a cool storyline breakdown (there are 6 storylines apparently, intertwining!) from /Film after the jump....



First, here is the trailer:



Now here is the poster (which I really like):

And now here is a rundown of the 6 different storylines by Russ Fischer of /Film, which I think may very well be the best film website out there:

OK, kicking things off, the “first” story is ‘The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing,’ pictured above, which takes place in the mid 1800s. (It’s the first in the novel, at least, but we don’t know just how the film will structure things.) Tom Hanks features as a doctor who encounters a few unusual souls in the remote Chatham Islands, east of New Zealand, before journeying away by ship. Hugo Weaving‘s character talking about the “natural order to this world” factors in here. A diary chronicling that journey ends up in the next story. 

The next is ‘Letters from Zedelghem,’ in 1931, in which Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw), a broke young English musician, takes a gig transcribing the work of a composer (Jim Broadbent, looking more friendly than I’d pictured him in the novel) living in Belgium. There’s a plotline with the composer’s wife, too, which is left mostly un-shown in the trailer. Seems like she’s also played by Berry. Letters from Frobisher to his perhaps-lover Rufus Sixsmith end up in the next story. 

Then we bounce forward a half century to 1975, for ‘Half-Lives: The First Luisa Rey Mystery,’ in which, as the trailer shows, Halle Berry plays the title character. She’s a journalist investigating corruption at a nuclear power plant run by Hugh Grant. This is a pretty straightforward thriller story, but it does have some big elements that reverberate throughout the entire piece.

Her story is told as a novel manuscript which lands in the hands of Jim Broadbent’s title character in ‘The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish,’ which is the closest thing to a story set in our present day. (Halle Berry is in this one, too, which is the shot of her at the bar in the trailer, and Susan Sarandon shows up, too.) Cavendish is a vanity press publisher in trouble with the mob, who ends up stuck in a nursing home. This is almost a Twilight Zone sort of story — despite the wild fantasies of some of the other tales, this one might be the weirdest of the set. Cavendish’s story is told as a film within the novel, that is watched by a character in the next story. 

Here’s the futuristic stuff: the corporate-controlled future South Korea of ‘An Orison of Sonmi~451.’ The title character here is a food service clone played by Bae Doona, who develops a bit more intelligence and emotional consciousness than she is meant to. That leads to problems in her totalitarian society, and as the action-oriented shots in the trailer show, this is the most obvious Wachowski aspect of the film. 

Finally, the sixth story at the center of it all is ‘Sloosha’s Crossin’ an’ Ev’rythin’ After,’ in which Zachry (Tom Hanks) lives in post-apocalyptic Hawaii, where he encounters Meronym (Berry), a member of the last remnants of technologically-advanced civilization. They embark upon a journey that reveals some things about how all these stories and characters tie together.

Wow... you can see some great frames pertaining to each one of those scenes on /Film. So what do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.

Classic Movie Fashion Photographed By Candice Milon

I don't claim to be an expert on photography, but I do know a cool ass project when I see one. Photographer Candice Milon obviously has talent (just look at her website for proof) as a photographer, but she entered the realm of 'Down By Law Geekdom' when she decided to photograph sets of iconic movie clothing for a series of awesome photographs. the results are awesome, with some of them being easy to catch and others harder to identify. See the collection of 7 for yourself and tell us in the comment section if you can name the film they are from. Are you up for the challenge? Check the pics out after the jump...

 To see the pic even bigger, click here.

Gojira by Tommy Lombardozzi

CCD's resident artist Tommy Lombardozzi is finally back on here with a piece of original artwork... it's about time homie!!!! This time the kid is back with his interpretation of the classic Japanese monster Gojira... or Godzilla for all of you non sushi lovers out there. TL clearly used the original Japanese poster for inspiration, and the painting is done in marker, paint marker & spray paint on a comic book backing board. Fantastic work again my man!!! You guys need to get out to Tommy's website as soon as possible (click here) and buy some of his fantastic work, and drop him a line on Facebook telling him you seen his work here on CCD and you want to see MUCH MORE OF IT MORE OFTEN!!! Click after the jump for the full size piece...

'Popeye The Sailor': A Fan Film By Michael Valentine

The more fan films I watch, the more I realize that we are in the golden age of fan films. Cameras and production cost have increased in quality while decreasing in price, and people are taking to these fan films to develop their skills since they can disseminate them on the Internet and create a buzz. The other day I posted the excellent 'Y; The Last Man' fan film that I thought I was the best I have ever seen... but this selection is more of the garden variety type that we have become accustom to. It's kind of short (2:30 minutes) but stylistically looks wonderful... it is the Batman Begins of Popeye lore, gritty remake styling and all. I also love that director Michael Valentine stepped in front of the camera to play the Sailor Man himself. I also like that he keeps the pipe in his mouth the whole entire fight sequence. That is pretty cool. Enjoy the full fan film after the jump...

Happy Munn-Day!!!

Sometimes in order to move forward you must look backwards to the past. You got to know where you came from in order to see where you are going. Never forget your past. Yada, Yada, Yada... all of these axioms really don't mean much of anything here on CCD except that they give me the reason to flashback a bit to one of my favorite photo spreads Ms. Olivia has ever done. Munn is absolutely slaying it right now over at HBO's Newsroom, with last nights episode being one of the best to feature her yet. But I hearken back to the photo shoots of yesteryear, when Ms. Munn was a bit thicker and less likely to wear clothes in her photo shoots. I do love my Asian sensation in a bra & panties shoot...

Dr. Mierzwiak Takes On Movie Posters With His Own Unique Style

I come across many artists who ply their wares on the Net, but the thing I love to do most is to then visit the artist's particular personal page and see what else they got cooking. After seeing Dr. Mierzwiak's cool ass Avengers poster over at /Film, I decided to see what else the dude had to offer. I stumbled over to his Deviant Art page and found a treasure trove of film posters that are phenomenal. You can see them for yourself by clicking here, but after the jump I will place a few of the ones that I like best....

'The All Winners Squad': Marvel New Web Series Will Highlight Some Of It's Lesser Known Characters

Marvel just keeps making all the right decisions lately, in every aspect of their empire. They are riding high off the mega hit that was The Avengers, are gearing up to start phase 2 of their cinematic releases (Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Cap 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, and eventually Avengers 2), have some interesting TV prospects in the works (Guillermo Del Torro's Hulk series, Jessica Jones, etc) , and are wrapping up an epic crossover maxi series in their comic books featuring the two biggest superhero teams on the planet, Avengers vs X-Men. Yeah, Joe Quesada & the rest of the big wigs over at Marvel seem to be pulling all the right strings. Now they are taking to the web, and doing so with some not so familiar faces to boot. Their newest project is a web series entitled 'All Winners Squad', and it features some wonderfully obscure Marvel characters such as Howard the Duck, Frog Man, The Walrus, and Squirrel Girl. This rag tag group of heroes are coming together to face equally obscure villains in mini adventures and are being package in a way that will remind viewers of Drawn Together, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, The Boondocks, and the new Black Dynamite cartoon (which is awesome!). The pilot lays out the groundwork for the series, and future episodes are promised to follow shortly. I for one can't wait to see some of the minor characters get some burn. You can watch the episodes of the future here & you can check out the full pilot after the jump...

Breakfast Cereal Monsters by Lee Howard

While I consider myself to be a huge fan of the horror genre, I will gladly differ to my main man Johnny Boots from over at Freddy In Space when it comes to discovering horror related cool shit on the Internet. The guy just has a great knack for this sort of stuff, and he is always featuring cool things and running giveaways on his awesome blog. One of the most recent finds of his is a series of drawings called "Breakfast Cereal Monsters" by artist Lee Howard, which features some of our most beloved breakfast cereal iconic logos turned into horrifying monsters. I know Tony the Tiger or the Monster Cereal (Count Chocula, Frankenberry, and Boo Berry) guys are easy to imagine as monsters... but the Rice Krispie elves? Toucan Sam? The Trix Rabbit? Wow... wow!!! Johnny is currently running a giveaway for one of the prints on his blog that simply requires you to leave a simple comment. Get over there and try to win one. Check out my faves from the series after the jump...

The Best Fan Film I Have Ever Seen- 'Y: The Last Man' by Christian Cardona

I am constantly watching fan films on the Net, and if you are going to partake in that experience you have to be willing to put up with a few things. First of, the production value is usual shit... these guys are working on a hair of a shoestring budget. Second, the fighting/action scenes tend to be low rent. These aren't professional stuntmen for chrissakes. And finally they tend to be a bit short (usually under 5 minutes) because they can't afford longer productions. Well prepared to throw those three principles completely out the window when you watch the best fan film I have ever seen in my life. Y: The Last Man is a comic series created by Brian K Vaughn and Pia Guerra that has been kicking around Hollywood as both a movie & TV show idea. Some say the best place for it would be HBO, so that the story would have time to play out. But either way, this is a good holdover... that is for sure. The book is about a man and his monkey who survive a plague that wipes out all of the males in the world completely out. No one else with a Y chromozone except Yorick and his pet monkey. Amiss a world of chicks. Dangerous chicks. This is a high production fab film that totals over 20 minutes and is fucking incredible! Watch the full movie after the jump....

Incredible work from director Christian Cardona. And yup, that is video vixen Vida Guerra up in there as Roxy!

How 'The Dark Knight Rises' Really Ended... The Unseen Final Battle Between Bane & Batman!!!

Funny or Die is known for creating humorous parody videos and funny clips starring celebrities of various fame & stature. But in this one instance it seems they are taking the role of expose news, as they have apparently unearthed the 1st footage of an alternate ending of The Dark Knight Rises. In this version the final results between the Bane/Batman showdown are quite different from both the finished movie & the original comic books the movie is based on. It is quite shocking that this is the direction Nolan originally wanted to take, but those who have seen the actual film know that he scrapped this and went in a different direction. Click after the jump and see the awesome video that only Funny or Die has found. Great work guys....

DARK KNIGHT RISES ENDING LEAKED!!!!! - watch more funny videos      

The Matrix Meets Office Space

Many of us have occupied some sort of menial office job at some point in our adult life. It sucks... as evident in the classic movie Office Space. There are many memorable scenes from that classic flick that resonate with many of us... but what if Neo had worked in the office run by Lumbergh? Would his escape have gone as smoothly as it did in The Matrix? Probably not... my guess is that he would get tripped up by those pesky TPS reports! Check out this cool mash-up after the jump...

'White Man's Birden' by Fro Design

There are not many people who like Minimalistic art much more than I do. Take a simple idea and make it interesting... yup, I'll take that over floating heads and 'splosions that seem to be populating posters these days. Take 'White Man's Birden', a minimalistic homage poster for Hitchcock's classic film 'The Birds' that was made for the Gallery 1988 Hitchcock show by Fro Designs. This one is for sale over at the Fro Design website for 50.00 bucks, which may seem steep but seems reasonable after considering they are only making 15 of them! Check out the poster after the jump....

'2001: A Space Odyssey' As A Modern Summer Blockbuster

2001: A space Odyssey is one of my all time favorite films from my all time favorite director, Stanley Kubrick. 2001 is the grandfather of modern sci-fi movies, basically mapping out just how to make a science fiction movie for the next few generations of filmmakers. But what if the masterpiece itself was made today and was one of the summer blockbusters that emulate it so well? The trailer might look a bit like this. Thanks to my main man Jeff Bond for the find on this one...

'Remember Bane' by Over Think It

I love me some Bane... he has always been one of my faves in the comics (the Broken Bat storyline was one of the highlights of my teenage years) and is catching a bit of flack for being Christopher Nolan's choice for The Dark Knight Rises. Over Think It seems to love the character as well and wanted to defend him a bit, so they decided to make a tribute video entitles 'Remember Bane' set to the tune of Guns & Roses classic tune 'November Rain'. This one is great... very well done. Leave Bane alone... lol. Check out the full video after the jump...

'The Dark Knight Rises' Characters Painted In The Style Of The New Yorker Cartoons by Julian Birchman

Batman is dominating the Net after the launch of The Dark Knight Rises and there are some really cool things floating around out there based on the character. In my perusing of various webpages I came across these awesome drawings by artist Julian Birchman on his blog Sitting Too Close. Julian uses a painting style very similar to the classic New Yorker Magazine cartoons look in his work, and he has two excellent ones featuring memorable scenes from Nolan's recently released third Batman opus. The first one is from the part where Bane unmasks the Bat, and the second comes from their awesome rematch fight set among the police officer/people's army rebellion at the end of the film. Check out more of his awesome here and check out the Bat photos after the jump...

"I Like You Siri, Your Going Places" - Martin Scorsese's IPhone Commercial

I am not an Apple convert. I am not a big fan of the Ipad or Iphone, even though I am sure they are perfectly great gadgets. I know most people who join the cult of Apple very rarely venture back to the outside. But I am an Android gut through & through. But just cause I worship at the alter of Google doesn't mean I can't admire great advertising when I see. it. Here is the newest Iphone commercial, this one featuring Martin Scorsese. I love the NYC setting, Marty's NYC personality, and it happens to be the same cab number as Travis Bickle's cab number from Taxi Driver. Now that is great advertising!!! Check out the full ad after the jump...