Comic-Con offically launched earlier today, and one of the most interesting film-related tidbits to come out of it so far is the viral ad campaign for Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium — which, it’s worth pointing out, doesn’t open until 2013. According to Slashfilm, producers have put up posters pointing to armadyne.net, a website which contains a short recruitment video for “zero g welders, mega-structure engineers, quantum networkers and experts in zero g coupling and multi-generational planning” for “the most ambitious project ever undertaken by mankind.” Not exactly a big reveal, but considering how little we already know about the film (it’s set 150 years in the future on another planet; it stars Jodie Foster, Matt Damon, and William Fichtner; and Blade Runner designer Syd Mead is involved), it’s something, right? Click through to check out the clip, and let us know in the comments if you’re excited to check out Blomkamp’s followup to District 9.
Read More »
Time Magazine’s book critic Lev Grossman’s new novel The Magicians is an urban fantasy that you don’t have to feel sheepish about reading on the train. His hero Quentin Coldwater is similar to Harry Potter in that he’s attending a school that teaches magic, but this story is more adult than J.K. Rowling’s series — think sex, drugs, and the streets on New York City. Flavorpill caught up with Grossman (who’s currently on tour promoting his book) over email to talk about why his hero is a Brooklynite, which he’d rather visit: Fillory (his fictional world) or Narnia, and what his plans are for a film adaptation (we’re looking at you Neill Blomkamp).
Flavorpill: Did you set out to write an urban fantasy? Do you think urbanites need fantasy novels more?
Lev Grossman: I’ve never been exactly sure what “urban fantasy” is. I think The Magicians is an urban fantasy. I hope it is. A lot of the feel of it came out of my seeing Highlander when I was 17 — drawn swords and magic in a parking garage. If that isn’t urban and fantastic I don’t know what is. Read More »
District 9 is currently sitting pretty with a nearly unprecedented 97 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It doesn’t come out until tomorrow, and as far as we can tell, the New York Times hasn’t reviewed it yet, so all of this attention is resulting in some major hype. The sci-fi film from first-time director and Peter Jackson protege Neill Blomkamp takes place in South Africa, where aliens complicate an already-tense societal racial divide. District 9 is bringing out exclamation points and hyperbole in critics, who, judging by their tone, haven’t seen a movie this good in…a long time. Check out our favorite lines from the reviews after the jump. Read More »
