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James Cameron gives verdict on McG's Terminator Salvation

15 December 2009 3:52 PM, PST | The Geek Files | See recent The Geek Files news »

Avatar director James Cameron was also the man behind the first two Terminator films, in 1984 and 1991, which are regarded by many fans as the strongest in the series.

Cameron directed and co-wrote both releases, which were followed by Jonathan Mostow's Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines in 2003 and then this year by McG's power-packed, post-apocalyptic Terminator Salvation.

In the Total Film supplement King of the World: The Complete Works of James Cameron, there is an interview in which Cameron was asked what he thought of Terminator Salvation.

He responded: "It didn't quite have the emotional power that it should have had. I thought Sam Worthington was great, very powerful, and Christian Bale...people have criticised him for being one-note but that's part of the character.

"He was playing a guy who's furiously dedicated to the survival of the human species. Maybe more could have been done with that. »

- David Bentley

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Terminator Franchise Hangs In The Balance

3 December 2009 5:51 PM, PST | FilmShaft.com | See recent FilmShaft.com news »

Last year’s Terminator: Salvation might have been a title too far. It now looks likely McG’s 2008 sci-fi actioner will be a one-off. Halycon Holding Group, who hold the rights, have filed for bankruptcy and will be flogging the series to the highest bidder. Who will buy?

Terminator Salvation’s makers initially planned a new trilogy, but this now seems unlikely to happen. Will Christian Bale ever return? After “that” on-set incident reduced him to a worldwide laughing stock? Not likely. He and Shane Halbutt are “done professionally.”

Halycon Holding Group announced, that:

“Over the past few weeks, Halcyon and its professionals have engaged in in-depth discussions and negotiations with numerous serious potential buyers, including several major movie studios,” Halcyon said. “In addition, a number of attractive refinancing alternatives have also been presented. In order to maximize the value of a transaction for all of the company’s creditors and stakeholders, »

- Martyn Conterio

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Surrogates DVD / Bluray Specs

30 November 2009 8:00 PM, PST | MoviesOnline.ca | See recent MoviesOnline news »

Action superstar Bruce Willis (the Die Hard franchise) headlines another spectacular thrill ride in the gripping film Surrogates, coming to Blu-ray® Hi-Def and DVD on January 26, 2010 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. Directed by Jonathan Mostow (Terminator Three: Rise of the Machines, U-571), Surrogates is a heart-pounding futuristic tale of splintered identity, treachery and murder. Both DVD and Blu-ray editions come with an array of bonus features that not only invite viewers to delve deep into the darkly imaginative world of Surrogates, but describe how this futuristic idea is not such a far-off reality.

Based on the enormously popular graphic novel created by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele, Surrogates also stars Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill), Ving Rhames (Mission Impossible), James Cromwell (Spider-man 3) and Rosamund Pike (An Education).

FBI agent Tom Greer (Bruce Willis) lives in a world where robotic surrogates stand in for people, protecting them from violence, contagion—and the appearance of aging. »

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Assorted Horror DVD & Blu-Ray News

26 November 2009 4:58 PM, PST | Fangoria | See recent Fangoria news »

During our brief downtime this past week a slew of new release dates and DVDetails have emerged for some upcoming genre fare set to invade the home market. Fangoria has details and updates on the upcoming releases of Paranormal Activity, Surrogates, Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever, Rob Zombie's Halloween II, District 9, Blood Creek, She-wolf Of London, and more.

Paramount has announced that Oren Peli's runaway hit Paranormal Activity is slated for a DVD & Blu-ray release on December 29th, 2009.

The Paranormal Activity DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround (theatrical version only) and English, French and Spanish subtitles.  The two-disc  Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-hd Master Audio and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital (theatrical version only) and English, English Sdh, French and Spanish subtitles.  Special features include:

Unrated version with alternate ending not seen in theaters »

- no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)

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Surrogates (2009) Movie Review

26 November 2009 10:49 AM, PST | SciFiCool.com | See recent SciFiCool.com news »

Bruce Willis’ “Surrogates” may have had a good idea going in, but the result is … middling. To be sure, as with any big-budget sci-fi film, it’s enjoyable enough on a base level, but this isn’t a movie that people will be using to salute Bruce Willis when the “Die Hard” star signs off to visit that Big Hollywood Sky. It’s a vanilla effort, disappointingly so given all the talent (not to mention money) involved. Jonathan Mostow is a good director with a knack for action, but his work here feels restrained and muted. I’m not sure how much of the idea survived from the script by Michael Ferris and John D. Bracato, or from the original source material, a comic book by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele, but what’s left is average at best, not-even-trying at worst. It is the future, and lifelike robotic surrogates have become commonplace. »

- Nix

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Bruce Willis Film "Surrogates" To Be Released On DVD In January

23 November 2009 10:05 PM, PST | icelebz.com | See recent iCelebz news »

"Surrogates" will be available on DVD and Blu-ray Hi-Def in January.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment announced it will release the Bruce Willis action movie on January 26. The movie, referred to by Collider.com critic Matt Goldberg as "high-octane action," will come complete with a variety of special features for an enhanced viewing experience.

Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele, the movie is set in a futuristic society where robot bodies outnumber those of actual humans. The robots, surrogates, are made in the likeness of people who control them from their home. Without any risk of danger, the surrogates allow users to experience an exciting life without any kind of repercussions. Among the users is FBI agent Tom Greer (Willis), who is called upon to solve a mystery involving the surrogates, which are beginning to malfunction, killing their users. And when »

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Surrogates Brings the Robotic Drama to DVD and Blu-ray on January 26th

20 November 2009 11:18 AM, PST | MovieWeb | See recent MovieWeb news »

You can bring home a new tale of a brave new robotic world on DVD and Blu-ray this coming January. Surrogates will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on January 26. The standard DVD will be priced at $29.99 Srp while the Bd disc will go for $39.99 Srp. The film stars Bruce Willis, Rahda Mitchell, Ving Rhames, James Cromwell and Rosamund Pike.

FBI agent Tom Greer (Bruce Willis) lives in a world where robotic surrogates stand in for people, protecting them from violence, contagion-and the appearance of aging. These picture perfect, real-life avatars-fit, good-looking, remotely controlled machines that assume their operator's life role-enable the population to experience life vicariously from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Greer and his partner, Agent Peters (Radha Mitchell), are called in to probe the mysterious death of a college student, whose life ended when his surrogate was destroyed. When Greer's surrogate is damaged in the investigation, »

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Box-Office Wrap-Up: Oct. 9 - Oct. 11, 2009

11 October 2009 11:49 AM, PDT | Rope of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news »

Alert commenters Jp and Jm called it, Paranormal Activity was destined to make the top ten. But even they didn't see it cracking the top five with an astounding $7.1m in 159 theaters. That per theater average of $44k puts them only a thousand dollars per theater behind the monstrous Miley opening last year. It even beat Surrogates overall, even though it spotted them 2800 theaters. An amazing result, and it wasn't even the only one... #1 movie predicted correctly: 2 Weeks In A Row 1. Couples Retreat A throwback result for Universal, it pays to be the only game in town. I don't believe people will see "anything" because it's the weekend, but I do believe that having a solid marketing budget and known stars will help you for at least 72 hours. Result: 35.3 million (My rank: #1, $11.3m off) 2. Zombieland This October is around five percent ahead of last October, but there isn't a title »

- Laremy Legel

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Review: Surrogates

5 October 2009 1:14 PM, PDT | HeyUGuys.co.uk | See recent HeyUGuys news »

There hasn’t been much in the way of good all out sci-fi action this year. Star Trek was as much introduction as it was action, Terminator: Salvation disappointed, and Transformers… Well, lets not talk about Transformers. So, with District 9 as the only real intelligent contender, Surrogates came along at a good time to try and provide what had been missing this year.

Based on a little known comic, Surrogates starts off with a brief, and almost half-hearted montage of how science has created affordable ’surrogates’, and how they are now used by 95% of the population. The concept of the surrogate is simple. The user stays at home in a nice comfy chair, hooked-up to their ’surri’ via a neural link. They then live out their day via the highly advanced, idealised robot version of themselves. The robots are completely human looking, and very strong.

Bruce Willis plays federal agent Tom Greer. »

- Barry Steele

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'The Ugly Truth' wins overseas box office race

4 October 2009 5:19 PM, PDT | screeninglog.com | See recent screeninglog news »

Sony's romantic comedy "The Ugly Truth" worked its way to the top of the overseas box office this weekend with an estimated $12.1 million in ticket sales after expanding to 54 territories.

Starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler as two TV personalities struggling to get along, the film has reached an international total gross of $70.8 million.

At No. 2, Jonathan Mostow's sci-fi action flick "Surrogates" took home $11.4 million, reaching a cumulative gross of $28.4 million. Willis plays a cop in a world where humans use surrogates to perform everyday tasks. »

- Franck Tabouring

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Box-Office Oracle: Oct. 2 - Oct. 4, 2009

1 October 2009 4:35 PM, PDT | Rope of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news »

#1 movie predicted correctly: 0 Weeks in a Row 1. Zombieland It has a lot going for it. First off, it has the second most theaters (after Fame). It also has 1300 more theaters than any new release. It's got a nice trailer, and Sony has done a solid job promoting it. What could go wrong? The R rating is about it. But the Toy Story re-release is taking a few hundred of those lucrative 3D theaters away from Meatballs, and that will be enough to carry the day. I think. Estimate: $21.3 million 2. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Surrogates beat it on Wednesday, but adult fare generally does better on school nights. The international box office grab starts for this film in October, only then will we know the final financial verdict here. Estimate: $17.9 million 3. Whip It! It's very oddly placed for this market. Is it a girl power movie? A coming of age tale? »

- Laremy Legel

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Weekend Box Office: Slim Pickings for 'Surrogates', 'Fame'

28 September 2009 8:02 AM, PDT | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »

Weren't we seeking flashy, content-free teaser trailers for Fame, like, a year ago? Or nine months out at least? That's the sort of marketing generally reserved for event blockbusters, not movies that get dumped into theaters in late September en route to a $10 million opening and -- most likely -- a final gross in the vicinity of $25 -30 million. What happened? Given the bad reviews, perhaps MGM/Sony realized with a few months to go that they didn't have an awards contender or likely crowd favorite on their hands.

On the other hand, I don't know what excuse Disney has for Surrogates, a perfectly serviceable, extremely commercial sci-fi actioner starring Bruce Willis and directed by T3's Jonathan Mostow. Willis actionally doesn't have the greatest track record in opening non-franchise releases, but $15 million for a movie like this is awfully weak; here is an instance where hiding a movie from critics arguably hurt. »

- Eugene Novikov

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Mama Mia! Meatballs still tasty in second weekend as Surrogates and Fame sputter in.

27 September 2009 10:28 PM, PDT | Movie Jungle | See recent Movie Jungle news »

Sony’s “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” continued a strong run in its sophomore weekend at the box office with an estimated $24.6 million grossed from 2,951 venues. Film which features the voice talents of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Bruce Campbell, Andy Samberg, Mr. T and Bobb’e J. Thompson showed a mere 18% change in compared to last weekend’s $30.3 million take. Disappointing in second place with just $15 million was Touchstone Pictures’ “Surrogates” frontlined by Bruce Willis and including Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, Boris Kodjoe and Ving Rhames. Science fiction actioner/thriller is helmed by Jonathan Mostow and adapted for the screen by Michael Ferris and John Brancato based on the novel from Top Shelf Comix' Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele. Still, even with Willis in the lead, the film which opened in 2,951 locations averaged just $5,083 per theatre. »

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'Surrogates' No Substitute for a Good Story

27 September 2009 9:30 PM, PDT | CinemaSpy | See recent CinemaSpy news »

The sci-fi–murder mystery hybrid Surrogates takes an intriguing idea — a future where people only interact through robot proxies — and kills it deader than its murderer’s brain-melted victims. This film from Jonathan Mostow (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines) melds bits of I, Robot, The Matrix, and Minority Report, but it excises all the intelligence and style of its predecessors in the mind-numbing process.

Surrogates begins with a lazy look back at its futuristic world’s history, beginning with the invention of surrogates by Canter (James Cromwell). Fast forward 13 years, and the technology created to help people in wheelchairs has now been adopted by 98% of the world’s population (apparently even the starving live their lives through a surrogate…). People rarely leave their homes, instead sending the surrogates out to work and play. While their real bodies molder in specially equipped easy chairs, they feel every sensation that their surrogates experience, »

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'Up' still dominates international box office

27 September 2009 4:59 PM, PDT | screeninglog.com | See recent screeninglog news »

Disney registered another solid weekend at the internatinonal box office as "Up" held on to the top spot with earnings of $12.3 million from ticket sales in 25 markets. The animated adventure by Pixar currently boasts a total gross of $215 million.

Disney also released "Surrogates," which landed at No. 2 with a gross of $12.2 million. In the Jonathan Mostow-directed sci-fi film, Bruce Willis plays a cop investigating a murder in a world in which humans use surrogates to complete everyday tasks. »

- Franck Tabouring

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Box Office: 'Meatballs' defeats 'Surrogates,' 'Fame'

27 September 2009 2:13 PM, PDT | screeninglog.com | See recent screeninglog news »

Weekend of September 25 – 27, 2009: 'Meatballs' reigns as new releases struggle

Sony Pictures Animation’s “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” topped the North American box office for the second consecutive weekend with a decent $24.6 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Scoring an average of $7,887 per theater at 3,119 locations, the animated adventure brought its domestic total to $60 million after a little more than one week in release. The film is playing in both 3D and standard format.

At No. 2, Jonathan Mostow’s “Surrogates” debuted with $15 million via an average of $5,083 per theater at 2,951 locations. In the film, Bruce Willis plays a cop investigating a murder in a world in which humans use surrogates to complete everyday tasks. »

- Franck Tabouring

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Box Office Report - Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Repeats

27 September 2009 6:02 AM, PDT | movies.about.com | See recent movies.about.com news »

Sony Pictures Animation's Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs remained in first place at the box office against less than stellar competition. All of the weekend's new releases failed to live up to expectations, with Disney's Surrogates starring Bruce Willis and directed by Terminator 3's Jonathan Mostow claiming just $15 million. Surrogates had been expected to give Meatballs a run for its money, but bad reviews may have played a role in keeping Surrogates from earning a following in theaters.

Top 10 Films for the Weekend Ending Sept 27

1) Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - $25,038,803

2) Surrogates - $14,902,692

3) Fame - $10,011,682

4) The Informant! - $6,624,085

5) Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself - $4,759,833

6) Pandorum - $4,424,126

7) Love Happens - $4,307,980

8) Jennifer's Body - $3,664,559

9) 9 - $2,959,231

10) Inglourious Basterds - $2,683,198

(Photo &copy Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Animation)

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'Chance of Meatballs' holds on to No. 1

26 September 2009 5:50 PM, PDT | screeninglog.com | See recent screeninglog news »

Sony Pictures Animation's 3D adventure "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" delivered yet another strong performance at the top of the North American box office Friday with an estimated $5.6 million in ticket sales, lifting its domestic total gross to $41 million after a superb one-week run.

At No. 2, Bruce Willis' new sci-fi action flick "Surrogates" debuted with $5.1 million. The Jonathan Mostow-directed film is set in a world in which humans use surrogates to complete everyday tasks. Willis plays an FBI agent who investigates the first homicide in years. »

- Franck Tabouring

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Review: Surrogates

26 September 2009 1:00 PM, PDT | SoundOnSight | See recent SoundOnSight news »

Surrogates 2009, USA Directed by Jonathan Mostow Written by Michael Ferris, John D. Brancato, Robert Venditti (graphic novel), Brett Weldele (graphic novel) Starring Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, Ving Rhames The idea of creating an imaginary persona as a replacement for reality is nothing new, at least for those of us who try to pick up 16-year-old girls on the Internet. But in the new science fiction film Surrogates, based upon the comic book by writer Robert Venditti and artist Brett Weldele, that concept is taken to its extreme. In the world of Surrogates, most of humanity remotely operates customizable androids instead of leaving the house. Not only are operators able to remain safely cocooned inside, but they can fulfill their fantasies by living life in whatever form they choose, from a buxom blonde to a cyber-punk with enough body-modifications to give those guys with the split dicks at BMEzine [1]hard-ons. »

- Al Kratina

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Bruce Willis Succumbs To 'Meatballs' In The Saturday Box Office Report!

26 September 2009 11:49 AM, PDT | MTV Movies Blog | See recent MTV Movies Blog news »

1. "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs" ($5.6 million)

2. "Surrogates" ($5 million)

3. "Fame" ($3.5 million)

4. "The Informant!" ($2 million)

5. "Pandorum" ($1.6 million)

If the Bruce Willis-starring comic book movie "Surrogates" had one obstacle to overcome this weekend, it was "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," the Sony Pictures Animation film that reigned supreme over last weekend's box office. Truly, it's a difficult decision for moviegoers -- experience a world filled with robotic analogues that can do and see anything you wish them to, or behold the spectacle of delectable food products raining gloriously upon your face. In the end, it looks like taste buds just barely won the battle.

The Jonathan Mostow-directed "Surrogates," expected to win the weekend, got off to a disappointing start with only $5 million on its first Friday in theaters. The Bill Hader-voiced "Meatballs" kicked the weekend off in the lead with $5.6 million, just barely overtaking the Top Shelf Productions adaptation. »

- Josh Wigler

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2009 | 2008 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001

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