Spider-Man 4 Gets Pulitzer Playwright
Sony is in final talks with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire to write Spider-Man 4.The studio is known for getting interesting choices to pen the Spider-Man films. Penning the second and third films was dramatic writer Alvin Sargent (Ordinary People). Another Pulitzer writer, Michael Chabon (Wonder Boys), did some work on Spider-Man 2.
Sam Raimi and star Tobey Maguire are confirmed for the film with Maguire’s co-star Kirsten Dunst also expected to return.
David Lindsay-Abaire’s most recent project was Rabbit Hole, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize. He’s also adapting his Pulitzer winner for the screen, with Nicole Kidman lined up to star.
Wall-E and The Dark Knight Receiving Oscar Push
This week Disney will launch a campaign to get Wall-E nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, an award never won by an animated film.
The rules state that Academy members can vote for the same film in both the Best Picture and Best Animated Feature Film categories, making this completely viable. The only other animated film in Oscar history to be nominated for Best Picture was Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in 1991.
“If we didn’t do it, I don’t think we’d be giving the movie its due,” Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook said of their decision to promote Wall-E.
Also Warner Bros would be campaigning for a nomination for Heath Ledger specifically in the supporting actor category, putting to rest all the speculation and suggestions that he could contend for the Best Actor Oscar . Now all the awards pundits seem to agree that Ledger is a definite lock for a posthumous nomination.As well as various tech contributors for The Dark Knight.
The Dark Knight has the right combo of being the biggest moneymaker and one of the most critically acclaimed films of 2008, which was hardly the case with another high-grossing blockbuster Best Picture, Titanic.
Wall-E is one of the best reviewed movie of the year, with a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes While The Dark Knight scored 94% .
Volvo S60 Concept Gets Crystal Console
Volvo Cars has engaged world-famous Swedish glassworks Orrefors in the work with the company’s next concept car.
The automaker has revealed that its concept for the new S60 will feature a center stack and console made from crystal.The Volvo S60 concept is expected to make its debut at the 2009 Detroit auto show in January.
In order to meet the relevant strength standards, the finished piece consists of three sections joined together at the Volvo Cars concept car workshops.
Invisible light sources give the crystal a glow that can be changed to match the driver’s mood.
“It almost looks like a waterfall from the instrument panel, flowing through the centre of the car,” says Volvo Cars design director Steve Mattin.
“The full-size crystal piece in the concept car will not be a production feature. However, it does open up opportunities to use crystal on a smaller scale in the future. We’ll have to see how our customers respond,” says Steve Mattin.
The next S60 was originally slated to hit the market in mid-2010.
Bob Geldof Awarded Honorary Doctorate
Sir Bob Geldof, the driving force behind 1985 Live Aid event was awarded an honorary doctorate at the University of East London.
“I actually thought you were going to be a bunch of musos, it turns out you’re geeks,”The former Boomtown Rat joked at the ceremony.
‘I have lived in London for most of my life and East London is probably the most fluid part of the Capital. There’s a constant influx of people, immigrants like myself. So it’s great to come here and see this mix of people now all amazingly well qualified!’
The ceremony was held at the Barbican Centre in central London.
The award is the third honorary degree that Bob Geldof has received.In 1986 Queen Elizabeth awarded him an honorary knighthood (Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire).
Organisers said the award recognises his “unique success in harnessing the power of popular music to raise funds and awareness of key global issues, and changing the lives of people worldwide”.
RbG rainbow glasses
The structure of the RbG glasses has an internal channel where the colourful ink passes through, painting it with the colours you desire, allowing you to have a different look every time you want.
Made in plastic with a flexible part in the arm of the structure. Filled with water based ink.
Designed by portugese industrial designer Luis Porem.
Al Pacino kicked off the Rome film festival
A lifetime achievement award for Academy Award-winning actor Al Pacino kicked off the third edition of the Rome film festival on Wednesday.
The 68 years old actor received a prize awarded to the Actors Studio of New York - a theater workshop of which he is co-president where he and other actors like Robert De Niro, the late Paul Newman and Marilyn Monroe learned the ropes of the business.
“I am very honored to be here at this Rome Film Festival, which to me is a really great opportunity to show the films and in this mecca of Italy which is a great home of the greatest films we have had,” he told the audience.
In his latest movie, the 68-year-old actor co-stars with Robert De Niro in “Righteous Kill,” a story about two policemen chasing a serial killer.
This year’s festival is to concentrate on European cinema, with the best film category featuring 18 European films out of the 19 in the running.Only one US film will take part in competition, Gavin O’Connor’s “Pride and Glory” starring Edward Norton.
Chanel Mobile Art Exhibit in New York
Chanel Mobile Art, which showcases Chanel-handbag-inspired by a single common theme: Chanel’s iconic quilted 2.55 bag, opens to the public. The structure designed by Zaha Hadid takes three weeks to assemble in New York ,which has been assembled in Hong Kong and Tokyo, and will go on to London, Moscow, and Paris.
Twenty contemporary artists were invited to submit original work inspired by Chanel. (Yoko Ono, Subodh Gupta, Stephen Shore,Sophie Calle, Daniel Buren among them)
“The idea was to cross their creative universe with the cult of Chanel and of the Chanel bags,” says Bruno Pavlosky, Chanel fashion president. The link between contemporary artists and Chanel is long-standing, according to Mr. Pavlosky. Coco Chanel was a patron of artists, a tradition that Chanel has maintained by featuring art in its boutiques. “Creativity is the fuel, it’s the engine of our brand,” Mr. Pavlosky says.
Chanel is paying a $400,000 fee to rent space in the park to the Central Park Conservancy.
“It’s a really important thing, particularly now, when the economy needs some help, to do things that attract interest,” says Adrian Benepe, New York City Parks Commissioner. “Even this exhibition itself is creating a lot of temporary jobs for local labor.”
Mobile Art remains open until November 9th, Admission to the exhibit is free.
Winners of ‘Scream 2008′ Announced
At the “Scream 2008″ awards event in Los Angeles, the big winner was “The Dark Knight,” the 2008 Batman movie that captured 12 awards, including The night’s most prestigious award,Ultimate Scream and acting awards for lead actors Christian Bale and Gary Oldman.
“Knight” co-star Heath Ledger, who died in January of an accidental drug overdose, was named Best Fantasy Actor and Best Villain for his chilling portrayal of the Batman villain, the Joker.
Tim Burton arrives at the Awrds in a hot-air balloon, a la the Wizard of Oz. He received the SCREAM IMMORTAL Award for his remarkably unique interpretation of horror and fantasy.
George Lucas shocked the audience when he walked out on stage to accept the Comic-Con Icon Award.Sir Anthony Hopkins received the Legend Award for his tremendous contributions to films in the SCREAM genres while Wes Craven collected the SCREAM Mastermind Award for his terrifying and iconic work in the world of horror.
The winners for the Scream Awards are determined by fans who vote at the network’s website; nominations are influenced by an advisory board that includes author Stephen King, filmmaker Kevin Smith and graphic novel writer Neil Gaiman.
“SCREAM 2008″ will be premiered on Spike TV on Tuesday, October 21.The event also presents the musical performances by The Smashing Pumpkins and Kerli.
The full list of winners is:
* The Ultimate Scream Movie: “The Dark Knight”
* Best Fantasy Movie: “Hellboy II: The Golden Army”
* Best Horror Movie: “Sweeney Todd”
* Best Science Fiction Movie: “Iron Man”
* Best Sequel: “The Dark Knight”
* Best Remake: “Halloween”
* Best Comic Book Movie: “The Dark Knight”
* Best Scream to Comic Adaptation: “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, Season Eight
* Best Superhero: Christian Bale as Batman in “The Dark Knight”
* Best Villain: Heath Ledger as The Joker in “The Dark Knight”
* Best Actor in a Fantasy Movie or TV Show: Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight”
* Best Actor in a Horror Movie or TV Show: Johnny Depp in “Sweeney Todd”
* Best Actor in a Science Fiction Movie or TV Show: Robert Downey Jr. in “Iron Man”
* Best Actress in a Fantasy Movie or TV Show: Angelina Jolie in “Wanted (2008)”
* Best Actress in a Horror Movie or TV Show: Liv Tyler in “The Strangers”
* Best Actress in a Science Fiction Movie or TV Show: Milla Jovovich in “Resident Evil: Extinction”
* Breakout Performance: WALL-E in “Wall-E”
* Best Supporting Performance: Gary Oldman in “The Dark Knight”
* The Holy Shit! Scene of the Year: The Big Rig Flips Over in “The Dark Knight”
* Most Memorable Mutilation: Bitten by Vagina with Teeth in “Teeth”
* Best Director: Christopher Nolan, “The Dark Knight”
* Best Screamplay: “The Dark Knight” by Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan and David Goyer
* Best F/X: “The Dark Knight”
* Best Line: “I believe whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stranger” by The Joker in “The Dark Knight”
* Best TV Show: “Dexter”
* Best Comic Book: “Y: The Last Man”
* Best Comic Book Artist: Gabriel Ba, “The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite”
* Best Comic Book Writer: Grant Morrison, “Batman, Final Crisis”
* Most Shocking Comic Book Twist: The X-Men Disband After Professor X is Shot in the Head by Bishop
LG to launch Prada II
LG Electronics said it has once again united with Prada Group to launch an enhanced version of its touchscreen handset before the year ends.
Having a full metallic ‘QWERTY’ keyboard, It features on-screen call and hang-up buttons. Prada II also has some wonderful features like 3G compatibility with video calling, 7. 2Mbps HSDPA, full HTML browser, 5 megapixel camera with Schneider-Kreuznach certified lens, video calling and Wi-Fi accessibility.
Besides supporting the media format, the upcoming Prada phone is equipped with a 3 inch 400×240 touchscreen. It includes MPEG-4, H.263 and H.264 formats, music in AAC, MP3, WMA and RealAudio.
Prada II will be first made availble in UK, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Spain.The Phone would cost around 600 Euros ( 810 Usd ).
Sean Connery the New Face of Louis Vuitton
The former Agent 007, who has just turned 78 is the new face of the Louis Vuitton’s ‘Core Values’ campaign.
Sean Connery has returned to modelling for a special portrait by Annie Leibowitz, the American who photographed the Queen in March 2007 and who is widely regarded as the world’s top portrait photographer.
Connery’s photoshoot took place near his home in the Bahamas. He is wearing a Panama hat, long-sleeved, polo-neck sweater which reveals not an inch of torso and chinos rolled up to show just a glimpse of hairy leg. At his feet lies a waterproof version of the Louis Vuitton iconic ‘Keepall’ travel bag.
The Louis Vuitton brand is launching their campaign just before the release of the latest Bond installement.
Vuitton’s director of communications Antoine Arnault said “We are extremely proud that an actor of such immense stature should have agreed to participate in Louis Vuitton’s Core Values campaign. This wonderful portrait, which captures all Sir Sean Connery’s legendary allure, is bound to have a tremendous impact.”
“I wish I looked like that at 78 years old,” Arnault said. “He’s sexier than ever.”
Past promoters of the core values campaign include Keith Richards, Francis Ford Coppola, Catherine Deneuve and Mikhail Gorbachev.