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Rottenwatch: AVATAR (82%)

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Figured this would be as good a place as any to post this...

From http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/movies/2013560120_exhibition01.html


World of 'Avatar' coming to Seattle's science-fiction museum

By Moira Macdonald
Seattle Times movie critic


"Avatar" director James Cameron says he and Paul Allen — co-founder of Seattle's Experience Music Project|Science Fiction Museum — "love to geek out together" about science fiction.

That friendship has led to something tangible for Seattle's sci-fi fans: "Avatar: The Exhibition," a collection of memorabilia from the 2009 blockbuster film, will be launched at the museum beginning June 4.

The exhibit will include some 40 to 50 artifacts from the film, such as costumes, props, concept models and sketches, said museum associate curator Brooks Peck.

Also included will be several interactive displays in which visitors can experiment with concepts explored by Cameron while making the film: performance capture, virtual cameras, sound design and the Na'vi language created for the film. Regular ticket prices will apply to the exhibit.


"Avatar," a science-fiction epic set in the year 2154, became the highest-grossing film of all time, both in North America and worldwide.

Cameron, in a phone interview, said he's long been a fan of EMP|SFM. "What better place, I thought, to curate some of the artifacts from the making of the film?" he said.

The exhibit has been in the works for nearly a year, since "Avatar" arrived in theaters in late 2009. Cameron visited the museum and "walked the floor space" where the exhibit would be (the gallery currently titled "Homeworld" — the first room you enter in the museum), and staffers traveled south to visit Cameron's prop room and select artifacts with him.

Cameron said he's especially pleased that visitors can participate in much of the exhibit.

"I wanted to make it interactive," he said. "I wanted people to grab the virtual camera and look around within the virtual world of Pandora and get a taste of the experience, of what it's like making the film."

Among the artifacts will be the bow used by Zoe Saldana's character Neytiri (it's 9 feet long, Cameron said — "it reminds you of the scale difference between Na'vi and humans"). Busts of characters, soldier uniforms and other Na'vi props and costume pieces also will shown.

While these items didn't actually appear on screen in "Avatar," Cameron explained that everything created digitally had to be created physically first, "so they could be scanned and modeled and studied in terms of how the lighting worked and so the actors could get a feel for them.


"People think because it's a CG [computer-graphics] movie that everything is created in the computer, but we had to create everything in the real world first."

The exhibit will stay at the museum through Sept. 3, 2012, then go to other cities.

Cameron, now at work on two more "Avatar" movies (to be in theaters in 2014 and 2015), says he's reserved the right to "pull back" anything needed for the sequels. But he's happy to have the artifacts on display.

"I don't keep much from my films," he said, noting he kept only the ship's wheel from "Titanic" and a small statue of Neytiri made by "Avatar" artists. "I'd rather put it where people can see it."

You might not want to read the comments section though.
Rough crowd.
 
DonMigs85 said:
I just noticed... Are those girls wearing animal-themed masks?
Yeah, I love that even those masks are totally commercialised. There are even full face Kabuki masks in the crowd

And yeah, Jake obviously isn't wearing one as that just kinda points to how he no longer gives a shit. But you can notice there are a couple more people on the streets not wearing them.
 
Finished watching the Extended Edition...man I love this movie more with each viewing. Could watch it endlessly. It looked sooooooooo good too, I said goddamn.

Scullibundo said:
Yeah. The auditions of most of the actors and a funny little animated short about Landau.

I wish they would just put these online. BD-Live is messy on the PS3.
 
The extended edition really solves like 90% of the critical complaints about the film. If only there was a cut that removed "fight terror with terror" and "some kind of shock and awe campaign", it would be an absolute top-tier film.

Gotta say it again: Jake's O-face in the tendril mating scene is fucking hilarious. I almost fell off my couch during that scene.
 
jett said:
Finished watching the Extended Edition...man I love this movie more with each viewing. Could watch it endlessly. It looked sooooooooo good too, I said goddamn.
Weren't you just the other day trashing the 2DBlu-Ray after seeing the movie in 3D again :lol

Its not too hard for me to not feel bad about not being able to watch Avatar in 3D at home. I just love the crisp and beautiful picture of the 2D blu-ray. Its just gorgeous, and even the 2D picture has incredible depth many times throughout the movie.

Oh, have you watched the Deleted Scenes yet Jett?
 
The scenes about the school shooting really should have been in the theatrical cut. It's amazing how much depth they add.

- Instead of being a two-dimensional warrior princess, Neytiri is a traumatized, distrustful character who watched her younger sister get slaughtered by humans. This makes the bond she eventually forms with Jake much more powerful.

- Instead of being some botanist/teacher whose school was forced to close, Grace is a deeply compassionate (but now disillusioned) woman who loved her students more than anything and thought she could really make a difference on Pandora. She was forced to accept the cruel reality of the situation when she watched many of her beloved students get gunned down right in front of her by the colonialist marines. She was forced to learn firsthand that her research/educational agenda was considered completely insignificant compared to the mining interests on the planet.


Also, the Tsu'tey death scene brings his relationship with Jake full circle and really elevates him above being Kokoum Part Deux. Not to mention that the scene contains some of the best writing in the whole film.


Damn IMAX for not being able to hold bigger reels.
 
Some of the deleted scenes would have made those scenes even better.

Like the extended learning montage, with Grace playing with the kids, counting each others fingers. Wonderful stuff.

And the Hunt Festival, where you can see that Jake and Tsu'Tey almost start to bond.

the Extended Cut is a better movie, but there is an even better version that is still hidden underneath all the deleted scenes.

The story about the School also improves the flow of the conflict imo. It gives you a better sense of the back and forth that must have been going on prior to Jakes arrival. It really is an essential scene as it touches on so many parts of the movie :lol
 
I really, really hate Norm. I hope he bites it hard in Avatar 2.

And jett, I can't wait to hear your impressions of some of the deleted scenes.

Notably: The Hunt Festival, The Dream Hunt, Long Way From Earth, Alternate Montage and LETS KICK SOME BLUE ASS (not so much the last one, but I still would have appreciated it :D)
 
Scullibundo said:
I really, really hate Norm. I hope he bites it hard in Avatar 2.
Cameron should have kept his original name. Norm Cheeseman :lol

Don't worry, Cameron will reuse the dance scene from the deleted scenes and put it in the next movie :lol :lol
 
TacticalFox88 said:
I think it's the voice more than the character.

I think it's Joel Moore more than anything. Well Grace and Trudy are dead, hopefully Norm will lbe able to act as the requisite Cameron cannon fodder in A2.
 
jett said:
Finished watching the Extended Edition...man I love this movie more with each viewing. Could watch it endlessly. It looked sooooooooo good too, I said goddamn.


I seem to recall you railing on the April BD's A/V quality pretty hard.... :lol
 
:lol Well that thing is that that I had just seen the Avatar re-release and the film really is meant to be seen in 3D, it's such a better experience on the big screen, and it does look even better. Video quality on the BD really is excellent though, but doesn't compare to watching it on the big screen and in 3D. Blu-ray is a nice compromise. :D

Scullibundo said:
I really, really hate Norm. I hope he bites it hard in Avatar 2.

And jett, I can't wait to hear your impressions of some of the deleted scenes.

Notably: The Hunt Festival, The Dream Hunt, Long Way From Earth, Alternate Montage and LETS KICK SOME BLUE ASS (not so much the last one, but I still would have appreciated it :D)

Yeah I watched them afterwards. You know, overall I think all of the scenes are good cuts. The Hunt Festival and the Dream Hunt are definitely the ones that stand out the most. Really liked The Festival, it's the classic party scene that's always in in these "stranger in a stranger's land" stories. Too bad it's inconsequential as Tsu'Tey goes from "hey I kind like you" back to "GRRRR i hate you again because i'm jealous and that's my woman". The Dream Hunt is just WEIRD and pretty creepy, I feel it's completely out of place with the rest of the movie's tone. I'm not sure if I like it. :P

Quaritch getting in Selfridge's face was pretty cool, but still it doesn't change the movie. I'm not sure if Selfridge was actually getting remorse of he just cared about Quaritch taken control of the base.

What's the alternate montage again? I don't remember, is it Grace talking with her students?

Let's kick some blue ass is the Avatars attacking the base right? Yeah I don't care about that at all. Movie's called Avatar not Avatars!

What I really didn't like at all was Norm and Trudy hooking up, WTF was that. Out of the blue.

Overall my opinion on the deleted scenes is the same as most of the additions in the re-release/EE. More here is just more, not really better(or worse), but truthfully it's hard to judge the deleted scenes in their unfinished stage. The only scene that I feel really and truly added to the movie and introduced and important plot point is Tsu'Tey's death scene. When watching the theatrical edition I had no idea Jake had become the leader of the Omaticaya. That I loved and couldn't do without, although I agree a bit with Cameron's reasoning for cutting it. Still though, really awesome to see all the material left on the cutting room.

The fact is that I like the movie just the way it is. :P I'm not sure if I could handle a 4-hour cut of Avatar, it doesn't need one, and it wouldn't alter it in a meaningful way either.
 
What's the deal with the bd-live stuff? Is it ip-locked? I'm trying to access it from outside of America but I'm getting blank menus. :|
 
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=5565

To support the new bundle promotions featuring Panasonic 3D equipment and the Avatar 3D Blu-ray (see Blu-ray.com, December 1), Panasonic has launched a two-week, 14-city mall tour designed to give consumers a chance to experience the "immersive world of Full HD 3D Home Entertainment" at major malls across the nation. Panasonic is also holding a holiday sweepstakes, with the winner taking home a grand prize worth over $6,000.

The tour will give consumers an opportunity to experience for themselves Panasonic's line of 3D VIERA VT25 and GT25 series plasma TVs, 3D Blu-ray Disc players, rechargeable 3D active shutter eyewear, and 3D digital imaging products including Panasonic's first consumer 3D camcorder and the world's first digital camera with an interchangeable 3D lens - the LUMIX GH2.

The display will also feature an array of 3D content including a look at scenes from Avatar on 3D Blu-ray Disc, 3D programming from DIRECTV's suite of linear 3D TV channels -- including the n3D(TM) Powered by Panasonic channel -- and PC-based 3D video gaming from nVIDIA; all of which will be displayed in Full HD 3D on Panasonic VIERA Full HD 3D Plasma TVs.

jvVjq.jpg
 
I get sweaty just imaging how large the sum was that locked that film down as exclusive. The review that was posted said it made no to him why they would do it, but it is genius, the money must be obscene, and no one really has 3D stuff yet, by the time they do, and they drop the film out to the public in 3D it's going to blow up again.

Insane money.
 
Jett - the 'Lets kick some blue ass' scene is NOT the Avatars attacking. Its just an extended bit of the humans preparing for war with Quaritch announcing 'Good morning, ready to make history?' before checking all the men loading into AMP suits, the miners turned soldiers, all the soliders loading up into the vehicles, followed by some superior announcing over the com 'Alright, lets kick some blue ass out there gentleman'.
 
Seth Engstrom, one of the concept designers for the movie, put up a bunch of his concept art in the last month. Some really awesome stuff...

Teaser poster concept:

7rTSp.jpg


Something interesting about it, in the mock up credits, Peter Mensah is listed among all the regulars from the movie. Peter Mensah, Doctore from Spartacus Blood and Sand and the Courier from 300, was in the movie as the Horse Clan Leader, but he's in the movie for like 45 seconds total. I wonder, was his character, which was named and even had an action figure made of, supposed to have a lot more screentime? I remember back when the movie released, there was word of a deleted scene where we meet the other clan leaders. Either way, he isn't featured in any of the deleted scenes on the Collector's Edition...


Early concept art of Pandora orbiting Polyphemus:

3bXH6.jpg


1XwlR.jpg



Hometree anatomy:

4ZKnO.jpg


ddVFy.jpg



Pandora concept art:

95ynS.jpg


JTzw9.jpg


TlDH8.jpg


C1EIO.jpg


4r2wU.jpg


Earth:

VQEw9.jpg


AikEa.jpg


Early Link Pod design:

JLAKY.jpg


Tons more stuff at the website, including character designs, Hell's Gate concepts, Link pod designs, etc.
 
That teaser poster concept is so much better than that awful Neytiri half face thing we got that doesn't look anything like the Na'vi in the film.
 
No, thats the "media sky"

Basically there are ceilings of floating holographic advertisements above many parts of the city
 
CaptYamato said:
That is a cool idea.

Edit: Is there concept art of how the city look like from a far?
zHHUK.jpg


There's a much bigger and better quality version of this pic in the Making of Book.

The huge monolythic structure is pretty much supposed to be the human analogue to Hometree
 
I finally watched the extended edition last week. The image quality is amazing, but it's definitely missing something from the lack of 3D. The benefit though, is that I can finally watch the Thanator scene without wanting to die. The fast motion blurring + 3D + moving camera was awesome at driving me crazy in the cinema. :lol

I really liked the added scenes on the blu-ray. They actually felt pretty significant instead of throwaway extra scenes. It's interesting how as the movie gets LONGER, it actually feels.... shorter. If that even makes sense. For a 3 hour movie, it really doesn't feel draining or particularly long. The pacing is just right and Cameron really nailed the 3-act structure.

Oh and Tst'tey's death scene is pretty fucking zomg. Some amazing facial animation there, which really hammers home how advanced the motion capture system is. Drool...
 
The pacing in the 3 hour cut is actually better than in the theatrical cut I think! It just feels more complete too (though still not complete enough! Dreamhunt ;_;)
 
DonMigs85 said:
Love that expression :lol
Nah, the best one is when Jake does the DAT ASS expression.

Its right after they land in the forest, after Grace says "one idiot with a gun is enough," he is literally doing that same expression :lol
 
Dead said:
Nah, the best one is when Jake does the DAT ASS expression.

Its right after they land in the forest, after Grace says "one idiot with a gun is enough," he is literally doing that same expression :lol
osOiS.jpg
 
Yes! I couldn't believe it when I saw that :lol

I thought theres no way that was Worthingtons actual expression, but I checked on the 3rd disc of the blu-ray, and sure enough it was. awesome :lol
 
Yeah I've always loved that expression.

Awesome to see the concept art up. Looking at the high-def images of the art gallery on disc 2 I wanted to save and print some out. And yeah, that concept poster should have been the design for the final poster.
 
Scullibundo said:
Yeah I've always loved that expression.

Awesome to see the concept art up. Looking at the high-def images of the art gallery on disc 2 I wanted to save and print some out. And yeah, that concept poster should have been the design for the final poster.
A little something extra that you will like:

nxCE0.jpg


nRl7t.jpg


VWmbF.jpg


(I love the shit out of that one ^)


qKevS.jpg
 
Its purely Camerons preference.

If they had laser rifles, the scene with Quaritch holding the assault rifle right up to his face while shooting at the copter wouldn't be nearly as awesome. I love how god damn powerful the machine gun sound effects in that scene are.
 
I watched the extended edition and the deleted scenes yesterday. I bet I'm not the only who'd have loved to see an even longer cut of the movie with most if not all of those deleted scenes completed and put back in. They do make the movie better because you get character backgrounds for minor characters like Norm Spellman. You now find out that he was supposed to take over from Jake's killed brother. As a scientist he was groomed for the job, spoke the language better than anyone and was supposed to pacify the Na'vi but then Jake suddenly came in and through sheer luck took over his job.

Sigourney Weaver's character is more fleshed out too. Because we now know that Norm was supposed to be the new scientist in town and we know how the soldiers on Pandora ruined her mission, she has better reasons for mistrusting Jake. We see more of Jake's inner conflicts too.

All in all, the deleted scenes would really have enhanced an already perfect movie (and maybe they would have shut up the critics)
 
ymmv said:
I watched the extended edition and the deleted scenes yesterday. I bet I'm not the only who'd have loved to see an even longer cut of the movie with most if not all of those deleted scenes completed and put back in. They do make the movie better because you get character backgrounds for minor characters like Norm Spellman. You now find out that he was supposed to take over from Jake's killed brother. As a scientist he was groomed for the job, spoke the language better than anyone and was supposed to pacify the Na'vi but then Jake suddenly came in and through sheer luck took over his job.

This was all pretty much obvious in the theatrical cut though.
 
DonMigs85 said:
You'd think by that point we'd have lasers instead of projectile-based ammo.

Not sure where I read this, I think it's in the Pandorapedia, but the dense atmosphere and high magnetic fields on Pandora render energy weapons ineffective.
 
ymmv said:
I watched the extended edition and the deleted scenes yesterday. I bet I'm not the only who'd have loved to see an even longer cut of the movie with most if not all of those deleted scenes completed and put back in. They do make the movie better because you get character backgrounds for minor characters like Norm Spellman. You now find out that he was supposed to take over from Jake's killed brother. As a scientist he was groomed for the job, spoke the language better than anyone and was supposed to pacify the Na'vi but then Jake suddenly came in and through sheer luck took over his job.

Sigourney Weaver's character is more fleshed out too. Because we now know that Norm was supposed to be the new scientist in town and we know how the soldiers on Pandora ruined her mission, she has better reasons for mistrusting Jake. We see more of Jake's inner conflicts too.

All in all, the deleted scenes would really have enhanced an already perfect movie (and maybe they would have shut up the critics)

There are only 3 or 4 deleted scenes (around 20 mins worth) that should have been put back in and none of them included Norm. Every deleted Norm scene is cringeworthy except the alternate death scene for his Avatar.
 
TacticalFox88 said:
Wait there was a school massacre? O_o? How the fuck did I miss that? Anyone mind telling me at what part it's at?
Early on, Jake sees bullet holes in an old abandoned school. Then later, Grace explains to Jake the entire situation.
 
TacticalFox88 said:
Wait there was a school massacre? O_o? How the fuck did I miss that? Anyone mind telling me at what part it's at?
In the extended edition we see that Grace's old school is riddled with machine gun bullet holes, later on we find out that Quaritch's troops massacred the scool after Neytiri's sister and her friends toasted a bulldozer.

lol, beaten.
 
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