"Club Penton" - Ask questions to Hollywood insider "Penton-Man"

[Jeff Kleist]

Spielberg films will trickle out just like with DVD

[hollywoodguy]

Originally Posted by roxyv

Hey Penton...not that Die Another Day is the best Bond movie but how do you access the special feature Ministry of Propaganda, like the Madonna video, for it was mentioned in the review here on this site...is it branch elsewhere... same also withe the DVD ultimate ed, i think its missing or i'm blind??/

Contrary to the review on this site, the Madonna video is not on the disc. You can, however, watch the textless opening titles under "007 Mission Control - 007 - Titles".

The Ministry of Propaganda feature the review is referring to is simply the Image Database. (Ministry of Propaganda is the heading for the trailers on the other Bond discs. On this one, there are no trailers.)

[PaulGo]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

It’s not just that, some Directors will continue to shoot film to pay homage to the history of filmmaking , their predecessors and those whom taught them their craft, perfect example being Steven S.

It’s actually quite refreshing to see someone as young as Chris Nolan express that attitude about film.

I am pleased that most creative people choose different paths to produce outstanding products. In this instance Cris used both IMAX and standard film to help enhance his film.

I found this summary of the BD-Live screening of The Dark Knight with director Christopher Nolan:

http://intotheblu.com/2008/12/warner...w-chris-nolan/

[Penton-Man]

Nice write-up.
Our friend Bill Hunt also did a similar one…………..
http://thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents
My only question/confusion as to the [into the blu] article you linked is why the author refers to Chris as the “now infamous director”?

Perhaps there are more explosions in The Dark Knight than Michael Bay’s Transformers, or one of the explosions in TDK that occurred in a residential neighborhood at night, happened to jolt a neighbor out of bed who had gone to sleep early?

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by AlexCruz

Hey Penton! I have a question and I'm not really sure if you're the right guy to go to, but I'll give it a try! Is there a possibility of having a Christmas Vacation 20th anniversary release next year? I know it might be a little too early to start asking.........

Sorry, I don’t know and if I did, I doubt the marketing folks would appreciate me revealing that information at this particular time.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by merrick97

Penton,

Any Christmas presents this year? Like last year?

lol, you’re sounding like Maya now.
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=530

I’ll think about it; however, it seems as though every time I do that sort of thing, somebody in some dept. feels badly because I stole their chance to toot their own horn. I’ll see what I can do but, I make no promises.

[coolmilo]

Speaking of Maya, I now have a friend hanging out in a green belt on the side of my house. As much as I would like to befriend the coyote, I am a little concerned for my own dog and the neighborhood cats.

Any suggestions?

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by coolmilo

Speaking of Maya, I now have a friend hanging out in a green belt on the side of my house. As much as I would like to befriend the coyote, I am a little concerned for my own dog and the neighborhood cats.

Any suggestions?

If he is hanging out in your residential neighborhood (i.e, I assume as such when you use the term “greenbelt”) then there isn’t enough water and/or food in his local wild habitat…..due to more and more human encroachment by housing developments and such.

Coyotes are natural born predators and they hunt when hungry, that’s in their genes; however, keep in mind that everyone/everything will do whatever it takes to stay alive (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106246/)

Even given that fact, they go out of their way to avoid human contact so, I would walk your dog closely by your side on a leash and tell your neighbors to keep their cats in the house, esp. at night. Eventually he’ll move on to look for a food source in another environment, unless he’s completely surrounded on all sides by human development.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by PaulGo

I guess their are some directors that will insist upon film because they feel it is a better media.

To elaborate a bit more, without commenting upon the inherent deficiencies of one digital acquisition device compared to another (i.e. the Dalsa Origin 4k vs the RedOne vs the Panavision Genesis vs. the Sony F series cameras), an issue that many filmmakers (such as the Pres. of the ASC - (https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...postcount=6047)

have [and rightfully so] at this time with digital acquisition, is that there is no standardized color space and gamma which has yet been established for digital post work flows.

[PeterTHX]

Hey Penton...

I know I'm not supposed to be one of those "when is title x-x-x-x coming out?" guys but in light of your ties with Sony I have to ask:

Where is Air Force One?

It's been out overseas for quite a while (by Buena Vista and in VC-1/PCM 5.1) and it probably would have been a good idea to tie it in with Indiana Jones over here last October.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by PaulGo

I am pleased that most creative people choose different paths to produce outstanding products. In this instance Cris used both IMAX and standard film to help enhance his film.

Chris has always been extremely innovative and creative.

In fact, at The Dark Knight Blu-ray release event earlier this month, Chris mentioned that due to the inherent noisiness of the IMAX cameras, it’s necessary for the dialogue to be looped-in post production, which some actors simply aren’t comfortable with.
So, in the perfect world, he mentioned that he would like to shoot a film where all the non-dialogue scenes are IMAX capture and the script with dialogue would be shot with a sync sound 65mm camera…….. such as the Arri 765 with a noise level that reportedly comes in at less than 25 db.

I don't remember such an idea of hybrid acquistion capture ever even mentioned publically by a filmmaker before and I would doubt there has been.
He's always on the bleeding edge of creativity whether it be storytelling or image acquisition.

[Dan S.]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

lol, you’re sounding like Maya now.
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=530

I’ll think about it; however, it seems as though every time I do that sort of thing, somebody in some dept. feels badly because I stole their chance to toot their own horn. I’ll see what I can do but, I make no promises.

Whatcha ridin' there? I can't quite make out the frame manufacturer. I'm a bike shop guy, so it caught my eye.

[Bobby Henderson]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

I don't remember such an idea of hybrid acquisition capture ever even mentioned publically by a filmmaker before and I would doubt there has been.

It's already an extremely rare thing for any director to bother with filming an entire movie in 5-perf 65mm, much less do a combination of 5/65 and IMAX 15/65.

Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, Far and Away and Baraka are among a scant few features shot in 5/65 within the last 20 years.

[Brain Sturgeon]

The more I learn about TDK's production, the more I am impressed with Chris Nolan. Attention to details like the fact that Murciélago means "bat" in spanish, and then having the stones to wreck a real one for a relatively minor plot device-- just watching them do that brought a tear to my eye... Nice to know that Christian did a lot of the driving, and reportedly did it well.

Just reading up on the differences in film, and the resolution difference between 15/65 and 4/35 just boggles the mind...

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Dan S.

Whatcha ridin' there? I can't quite make out the frame manufacturer.

Zee best cross country racin bike I’ve ever had the pleasure to throw a leg over.
I build my own bikes (with the exception of the wheels), it’s the engine--near in me.

Of what is imaged in the pic (magnifying it may help and that is a legitimate endeavor in this case, as it is a still format)……..the frame was given to me by this seasoned hippy dude by the name of Gary Fisher , who also was a TransAlp participant.

It’s a Ziggurat (hardtail) with Genesis geometry (rides like a motor-sickle) having carbon fiber seat stays and chainstays, The drivetrain remains (as far as I’m concerned) the best all-around shifting x-country component system in existence ( I stock-piled them when Shimano stopped manufacturing them)…….namely, an eight speed XTR drivetrain (crankset, chain, cassette, front and rear derailleurs) .
XTR bottom bracket.
Avid SD Ti brakes. (non-disc)
Custom Speed Dream wheels built by Dave Thomas (arguably one of the best wheel builders in the U.S.)
Gore RideOn cables (yes, I stock-piled them also).
Manitou R7 fork (my SID World Cup fork was sent out to be overhauled)
King headset
Ritchey WCS stem
Paul’s brake levers
Speedplay Ti frog pedals
.
.
Incentive to ride – Wiley Coyote by Maya who occasionally pretends to nip at my ankles if I pedal too slowly……..just kidding, as she runs along with me at my side, surely laughing at my slow uphill pace, though.

P.S.
Dan, you own 250 Blu-rays!!!!
Dude, you need one of these babies………….
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665231960

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Bobby Henderson

It's already an extremely rare thing for any director to bother with filming an entire movie in 5-perf 65mm, much less do a combination of 5/65 and IMAX 15/65.

Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, Far and Away and Baraka are among a scant few features shot in 5/65 within the last 20 years.

Personally, I think Far and Away could have looked much better if so much of it wasn’t underexposed.

Now I wish I hadn’t of just typed that above comment, as it will just serve as a heads-up to the *scientists* that regularly lurk on our forum, who otherwise I’m sure, would have accused Universal of screwing the pooch on any upcoming Blu-ray edition (of this movie) by speculative conclusions regarding boosting the contrast during the Blu-ray transfer, or some other encoding/authoring nonsense that they can dream up after *screenshot* analysis because of their clueless ness regarding the principal photography and post workflow of nearly every motion picture that comes to Blu-ray.
Not that Uni even does their own in-house encoding in the first place.

Here’s another film to add to your short but distinguished list, in case you were unaware. Stanely Kubrick bought one or two? Mitchell FC/BFC’s and shot the first week or so of Full Metal Jacket in 65mm B&W before he trashed the idea and went with 35mm color negative. In fact, if memory serves the Mitchell FC/BFC made its debut on the feature film and upcoming Blu-ray, South Pacific.

Since, we’ve meandered into Film History 101, does anyone know how movie making actually got started (or at least how I was taught it did) in the locale known as Hollywood and environs?

It all stems from Thos. A. Edison and “the Edison Trust”.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Brain Sturgeon

The more I learn about TDK's production, the more I am impressed with Chris Nolan. Attention to details like the fact that Murciélago means "bat" in spanish, and then having the stones to wreck a real one for a relatively minor plot device-- just watching them do that brought a tear to my eye... Nice to know that Christian did a lot of the driving, and reportedly did it well.

Just reading up on the differences in film, and the resolution difference between 15/65 and 4/35 just boggles the mind...

Brain Sturgeon, every time someone posts pics like that for illustrative purposes, honest to goodness, I can just see Bobby crying in his soup. I’ll explain……

Bobby, I remember an online conversation you had years ago with David M., ASC and others regarding the unfortunate demise of 65/70mm capture and exhibition. I think you mentioned something to the effect that Hollywood studio people need to yank their collective heads out of their arses in regards to film vs, digital acquisition and exhibition.
Well, Chris Nolan (and WB) should be your new heroes then with The Dark Knight at least being the first feature film having any IMAX capture at all.

Since we’re on the ‘bat’ theme, add this one to your large format list, (prior to the last 20 years)……….
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020668/

[JimSD]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Zee best cross country racin bike I’ve ever had the pleasure to throw a leg over.
...

It’s a Ziggurat (hardtail) with Genesis geometry (rides like a motor-sickle)

Absolutely love Genesis geometry. I've got 2 Fishers with it, a 10 year old Big Sur (back when it had the same frame as the SuperCaliber) that I upgraded with XT parts and a Sugar full-suspension from the first year they came out that is my favorite bike ever.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by merrick97

Penton,

Any Christmas presents this year? Like last year?

I can say that the master for Seven Pounds
http://www.sevenpounds.com/

is outstanding and that the Blu-ray edition should get great picture quality reviews!
Feel free to quote me anytime, anywhere on that.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by JimSD

Absolutely love Genesis geometry. I've got 2 Fishers with it, a 10 year old Big Sur (back when it had the same frame as the SuperCaliber) that I upgraded with XT parts and a Sugar full-suspension from the first year they came out that is my favorite bike ever.

I have a SuperCal that is my daily ride, i.e. training bike and love it to death.
STILL going strong.

You my friend, know your bicycles.