Damon's Most Anticipated DIFF Films

Good day my victims of milkshake theft! I am Damon and will be covering a few films from the upcoming Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF) in a couple weeks. Javi and Jonesy asked if I would like to contribute and I jumped at the chance. Not only will I get to see some great films but I’ll get to do so with some good friends. It was hard to pare down my list of most anticipated films from DIFF but I did so and I think I have some good picks. Still I bet you could be safe with any of the Midnight Specials (my favorite category by far) or just by walking into a random theater during the fest. Without further ado, here they are in alphabetical order. 

STEP UP REVOLUTION Trailer Dances Its Way Into My Heart

Javi here. I seriously can't tell you how happy the last 5 seconds of this trailer made me. Ever since that fateful night when a cute girl dragged me to see STEP UP 2 THE STREETS, I have freaking LOVED the STEP UP franchise, Chaning Tatum included. For one, as the most rhythmically challenged Mexican I know, I am uber envious of those dancers with their poppin' and lockin' moves. Plus, the franchise has increasingly gotten more insane and ambitious in the dancing routines.

 As I mentioned on Twitter, I kind of wish that the plot didn't center around flash mobs. Between FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS and 2 BROKE GIRLS having scenes with flash mobs and feeling dated already, I don't know how this movie will top the last movie.....On the other hand, I think the dancing will totally make up for the mob gimmick. Thanks to @BTSJunkie for posting this on Twitter. Check out the trailer below!




STEP UP REVOLUTION comes out July 27th, 2012. It is directed by Scott Speer, written by Jenny Mayer and stars Kathryn McCormick and Ryan Guzman.

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WRATH OF THE TITANS Review- She Said

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman

Written by Greg Berlanti, David Leslie Johnson, and Dan Mazeau

Starring: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Toby Kebbell, and Rosamund Pike

Synopsis: Zeus asks help from his son, Perseus, to stop the titans from escaping from the underworld and destroying the universe. 

For Funsies: Downton Arby's

Javi here. You know, in the random times I stumble on videos to post on "For Funsies", I see a lot of dumb, dumb stuff. But then I totally come across gold like this; a very well written and produced DOWNTON ABBEY parody. Beware of spoilers for the show while you watch this. Thanks to the classy Joanna Robinson from Pajiba for finding the video on Yahoo! and posting about it.

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Most Anticipated 2012 DIFF Movies- Javi Edition

Javi here. It's that time of the year when I'll be bingeing on movies for 10 days straight during the Dallas International Film Festival. Even if there's issues with the festival itself, I've always enjoyed their selection. We'll be starting a series of articles that lead up to the festival, starting with this article, followed by (in no particular order) Jonesy, Jessica and Damon's most anticipated movies, and a "survival guide". Also, if you are interested in purchasing any tickets to these individual movies, follow the links to the DIFF site. If you are interested in the festival passes, you can go here for prices and more information. Stay tuned for these articles and more!

DIFF Announces Honorees, South Korea Spotlight, and More Movies!

The Dallas International Film Festival presented by
Boardwalk Auto Group Volkswagen Dealers Announces
Costume Designer Bernie Pollack to be Honored with the
Dallas Star Award

Academy Award Nominee Gabourey Sidibe to be Honored with the
Dallas Shining Star Award

Full Line Up of the Spotlight on South Korea

Additions to the Full Schedule

The Dallas International Film Festival presented by Boardwalk Auto Group Volkswagen Dealers announced today that a Dallas Star Award would be presented to one of the great legends of costume design, Mr. Bernie Pollack.  DIFF also announced that rising star, Ms. Gabourey Sidibe will be honored with the Dallas Shining Star Award for the contribution she has made to film in her short, yet impressive career to date.  Both Pollack and Sidibe will receive their awards at DIFF’s annual awards dinner, the Dallas Film Society Honors on Friday, April 20, 2012.  Other announcements include the full line-up for the South Korean International Spotlight and programming duo James Faust and Sarah Harris have announced the titles of additional films which will play in the Premiere Series, World Cinema and Deep Ellum Sounds categories.

For Funsies: Music for One Apartment And Six Drummers

Javi here with another really sporadic installment of "For Funsies", where I show off some random and interesting part of the internet. Now, I know that I'm totally behind of the other movie nerds. I just saw the movie SOUND OF NOISE while down in Austin this weekend based on a trailer I saw for it a couple of weeks ago. According to friend of the show, @ReelDistraction, there was a short that the movie was based on.  Since I figured that most of you guys have not seen SOUND OF NOISE, I figured I'd share the short film with you.



Yeah, it's pretty bad ass, isn't it?
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THE HUNGER GAMES Review- She Said

THE HUNGER GAMES

Directed by: Gary Ross

Written by: Gary Ross, Billy Ray and Suzanne Collins

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Stanley Tucci, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, and Donald Sutherland

Synopsis: 24 teens are picked to fight to the death until there is only one winner in front of the entire nation.

DOCTOR WHO Series 7 Trailer Reminds Me How Much I Miss This Show

Javi here. I'm not going to lie, I'm a little exhausted(as you can tell by the main picture). But I just wanted to post about the new trailer of Series 7 (because we just CAN'T say "season" referring to a BBC show), of DOCTOR WHO. Thanks to Den of Geek via Pajiba for the heads up on the trailer.



Nothing is out of the ordinary, the Doctor (Matt Smith) is awesome, Amy is annoying, and the special effects just keep on getting better. I can't wait. It seems the details are sketchy as to when this series will come out, but it seems that they're going for a Fall release with the season being split up by the Christmas special. Stay tuned as we find out more.
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Netflix Instant: Cool TV and Movie Picks

Jonesy here with this week's edition of Netflix Instant picks. I have an eclectic mix this week with a semi-guilty pleasure, a great genre film, and a modern take on a classic play.

OUTRAGE

I was able to see this film last summer during the Asian Film Festival of Dallas. It's a gritty and bloody gangster drama between two powerful yakuka syndicates. If gangster movies are you thing, this is a must see. 

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Man can Kenneth Branagh make awesome Shakespeare movies. While his dramas have more notability, one of my favorites of his is MUCH ADO. It's sweet, poignant, and has an unforgettable performance from Michael Keaton.

SAVED BY THE BELL 

I mean, need I say more about this one? You loved it; you know you did, and you always got excited when you happen to catch the reruns on cable. Now, it's all streaming. Oh what crazy antics will these crazy kids get into next?!

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Director David Cronenberg Does The Impossible, Has Me Excited For A Robert Pattinson Movie In The COSMOPOLIS Teaser

Javi here. No matter what (artistic) crimes to humanity Robert Pattinson has commited, I'm glad that just like Daniel Radcliffe, he is looking to shake off the stigma of being a protagonist in a real famous young adult series. I think that Pattinson has a lot more ground to make up for, which is why I find it interesting that he is pairing up with director David Cronenberg. As a slightly twisted individual, I really dig the darker and sexier movies of Cronenberg's filmography like CRASH and VIDEODROME (at least I find them sexier). Having watched the COSMOPOLIS teaser at least 5 times, I think that the dark/sexy type of Cronenberg movie is the one we will be getting. Today thanks to Twitch via Movies.com, I stumbled across this new COSMOPOLIS teaser trailer. For added classiness, it has French subtititles. Check it out after the break.

Criterion Collection: June Releases

Happy Spring Break everyone, or happy coming back from spring break everyone. Whatever the case may be, I hope everyone is excited about the new Criterion releases coming in June. And if you look at this list and cannot decide on what to get, it's okay. You can just buy everything because my cohort has a birthday in June.

SHALLOW GRAVE

United Kingdom, 1994; Director: Danny Boyle

SYNOPSIS: This diabolical thriller was the first film from director Danny Boyle, producer Andrew Macdonald, and screenwriter John Hodge (the smashing team behind Trainspotting). In Shallow Grave, three self-involved Edinburgh roommates—played by Kerry Fox, Christopher Eccleston, and Ewan McGregor, in his first starring role—take in a brooding boarder. When he dies of an overdose, leaving a suitcase full of money, the trio embark on a series of very bad decisions, with extraordinarily grim consequences for all. Macabre but with a streak of offbeat humor, this stylistically influential tale of guilt and derangement is a full-throttle bit of Hitchcockian nastiness.

THE GOLD RUSH
United States, 1912; Director: Charles Chaplin

SYNOPSIS: Charlie Chaplin’s first feature-length comedy for United Artists—which charts a lone prospector’s search for fortune in the Klondike and his discovery of romance (with the beautiful Georgia Hale)—forever cemented the iconic status of Chaplin and his Little Tramp character. Shot partly on location in the Sierra Nevadas and featuring such timeless gags as Chaplin’s dance of the dinner rolls and meal of boiled shoe leather, The Gold Rush is an indelible work of heartwarming hilarity. This special edition features both Chaplin’s definitive 1942 version, for which the director added new music and narration, and a new restoration of the original silent 1925 film.
**Javi was able to check out this fim a couple months ago. Check out his review here.

AND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE
United States, 2010; Director: Steven Soderbergh

SYNOPSIS: After the death in 2004 of American theater actor and monologist Spalding Gray, director Steven Soderbergh pieced together a narrative of Gray’s life to create the documentary And Everything Is Going Fine. Brilliantly and sensitively assembled entirely from footage of Gray, taken from interviews and one-man shows from throughout his career, it is a rich, full portrait—an autobiography of sorts—of a figure who was never less than candid but retained an air of mystery. In essence, this hilarious, moving, and revealing film has become Gray’s final monologue.

GRAY'S ANATOMY
United States, 1997; Director: Steven Soderbergh

SYNOPSIS: One of the great raconteurs of stage and screen, Spalding Gray, came together with one of cinema’s boldest image-makers, Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh, for Gray’s Anatomy, a spellbinding adaptation of Gray’s 1993 monologue of the same name (cowritten with Renée Shafransky). In it, Gray, with typical sardonic relish, chronicles his arduous journey through the diagnosis and treatment of a rare and alarming ocular condition. For the monologist, this experience occasioned a meditation on illness and mortality, medicine and metaphysics; for the filmmaker, it was a chance to experiment with ways of bringing his subject’s words to brilliant, eye-opening life.

THE SAMURAI TRILOGY
SYNOPSIS: The Samurai Trilogy, directed by Hiroshi Inagaki and starring the inimitable Toshiro Mifune, was one of Japan’s most successful exports of the 1950s, a rousing, emotionally gripping tale of combat and self-discovery. Based on a novel that’s often called Japan’s Gone with the Wind, this sweeping saga fictionalizes the life of the legendary seventeenth-century swordsman (and writer and artist) Musashi Miyamoto, following him on his path from unruly youth to enlightened warrior. With these three films—1954’s Oscar-winning Musashi Miyamoto, 1955’s Duel at Ichijoji Temple, and 1956’s Duel at Ganryu Island—Inagaki created a passionate epic that’s equal parts tender love story and bloody action.

THE 39 STEPS
United Kingdom, 1935; Director: Alfred Hitchcock

SYNOPSIS: The 39 Steps is a heart-racing spy story by Alfred Hitchcock, following Richard Hannay (Oscar winner Robert Donat), who stumbles into a conspiracy that thrusts him into a hectic chase across the Scottish moors—a chase in which he is both the pursuer and the pursued—as well as into an expected romance with the cool Pamela (Madeline Carroll). Adapted from a novel by John Buchan, this classic wrong-man thriller from the Master of Suspense anticipates the director’s most famous works (especially North by Northwest), and remains one of his cleverest and most entertaining films.

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For Funsies: A Trailer For Kamen Rider x Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen With Like, 200 "Power Rangers"

Javi here. At the expense of being forever single, I bring you this awesome trailer for a crossover movie between Super Sentai (the series that Power Rangers is based on) and Kamen Rider. This movie will amusingly attempt to beat a world record for the most amount of people in suits in a movie. I have no clue what the hell is going and I'm sure of my friends could fill me in on it, but the sight of a bunch of dudes in costumes fighting is all sorts of amusing. Thanks to Toku Nation for the trailer.


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Full PROMETHEUS Trailer Drops!

Okay guys. I can't remember being this pumped for the summer movie season for a long time. Either it's going to be a fun filled summer of great movies, or these trailer companies are getting better with making kickass previews. Now, WonderCon is going on right now (think of a smaller Comic Con), and we got a great trailer that premiered there yesterday. We've had teasers and teasers of teasers for Ridley Scott's newest film, PROMETHEUS, over the past couple months, but thankfully now we have a full trailer that gives sheds a little more light on story and gives us some great visuals.

Check it out after the break.

Netflix Instant: Cool Movies & TV-Campy Fun Time!

Javi here. I have another trio of  Netflix movies for you to enjoy today. This week, I'm focusing on more campy movies this week since I figured most everyone will be too drunk to care!

LEPRECHAUN 5: IN THE HOOD

Because I'm the type of dick that will recommend a LEPRECHAUN movie during St. Patty's Day weekend. Seriously, you will need lots of green ::shudder:: Bud Light to get through this one. 

THE SLEEPING CAR

This one I saw on a recommendation by Twitter's own @ReelDistraction, since we did not have our weekly Horror Movie Night. It's about a haunted train car where people are haunted when they have sex. It's got some shitty dialogue, the violence is laughable, but it was still a good time because of all of it. Plus, African-American Hitler is in it: 

ROBOCOP
I have not seen this one in a long time, but given that the Dallas International Film Festival will be honoring the 25th anniversary of this movie, I figured it'd be a great time to highlight it.

That's it for this week cat and kittens. I hope you enjoy! Jonesy will bring out some good stuff next week. 

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Inspired by 21 JUMP STREET: Movies We All Thought Were Totally Going To Suck But Didn't

Javi here. I think the title explains it all. When Jonesy and I watched 21 JUMP STREET(her review here) yesterday, I was thinking of how apprehensive I was about this movie when I first heard of it. I didn't think the movie was necessary, it was a weird property to even be remaking/updating, and yet I have not laughed this hard in a while. So here's other movies (in no particular order) that we all thought were totally going to suck but didn't!

 THE SOCIAL NETWORK

This is the first movie that I thought about. Remember when it was not even two years ago that we heard that David Fincher will be directing "the Facebook movie"? I remember even on the /filmcast, the hosts were so skeptical and dismissive as I was. The humble pie at we all ate was enormous indeed. THE SOCIAL NETWORK ended up being a movie that will outlast Facebook itself as a topical and yet very transcendent look at friendship, ambition, betrayal. Between the stylish Fincher direction, the Trent Reznor score, as well as a great performance by Jesse Eisenberg, this movie rose to be one of the best of the year and if it hadn't been for the Weinsteins and their Oscar-bait THE KING'S SPEECH, it could've won Best Picture.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL

This one is a little dicier for me, only because of what happened to Johnny Depp afterwards (remember ALICE IN WONDERLAND?). But back in 2002 in my younger days, I was skeptical about a movie based on a freaking Disney ride. The sequels notwithstanding, this was and is still one of the most fun action adventure movies in a long time. The movie gave Orlando Bloom something to do and Johnny Depp is now busy for the next 10 years.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

The phrase "fool me twice..." came into mind because we had already gotten 2 back-to-back craptasitc X-MEN movies, alsmost doing away with any of the goodwill and great universe that was set up by director Bryan Singer. But what KICK ASS director Matthew Vaughn did with X-MEN: FIRST CLASS was make me forget about silver bullets and "I'm the Juggernaut, bitch" nonsense from the previous movies. Much like Ang Lee's THE HULK, it is a smarter look at the superhero genre with the back drop of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Charles Xavier and Eric Lensherr's ideological battle of a mutatan'ts place in the world is also a focus, where you see both sides of the issu in a way that they still had not been in the previous movies. Michael Fassbender was the best part of the movie as his portrayal of the future Magneto brought an emotional focus to the character to make him more compelling than the "heroes" of the story.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

The WTF prequel/remake/sequel? Whatevs, I am not a big PLANET OF THE APES fan like Jonesy is, and while I always have a soft spot for Tim Burton, I didnt like the remake. So when we got a screening for RISE, I had low expectations. Those expectations were blown away thanks to one Cesar aka Andy Serkis. His story is the only fully realized one and that is just fine with me. He is the main character of this story and his emotional arc shows his ascension as the leader of the apes that will one day rule the Earth. As an animal lover, this was a painful movie to watch, which is why I'm freaked to see PROJECT NIM, but it is an emotionally charged movie where you're technically rooting for the end of the world.

As you can see, a lot of the movies I listed were very recent, within the last decade. If you guys have any other potential bombs that ended up being amazing, let us know in the comments.

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21 JUMP STREET Review- She Said

Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller

Written by Michael Bacall and Jonah Hill

Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, and Rob Riggle

Synopsis: A pair of police officers are sent back to go undercover to bust a drug ring at a high school.

DIFF Releases Full Schedule of Films

It's finally here! The Dallas International Film Festival has released their schedule of films that will be presented April 12-22. I'm especially excited about some films on this list because it's a chance to see a few that I missed during Fantastic Fest. Keep an eye out here for all the upcoming news including our most anticipated films for the festival!

Tickets for opening night, passes, and vouchers are now on sale here. All other tickets will be available to purchase starting March 19th for Dallas Film Society members and March 22 to the general public at The Prekindle Main Box Office at 5331 E. Mockingbird Ln, Suite 105 in Mockingbird Station.

Check the full release after the break.

[REC]3: GENESIS Trailer

Javi here. Today, we have a pretty interesting looking trailer for the third movie in the Spanish "zombie" franchise, [REC], which just had its premier at the movie portion of 2012 South By Southwest. As a big fan of this franchise, I am very interested in seeing where the story can go. This will be a prequel to the first two movies, showing the first instance of the zombie outbreak during a wedding. Check out the trailer after the jump courtesy of Empire via First Showing.

For Funsies: Spoiler Etiquette

If you're like us, then you know there's not enough time in the day to catch all your favorite shows the night they air. Sometimes you can't get to them until the weekend. Sometimes you can't get to a show until a year later depending on how much catch up you're doing. And sometimes you're so far behind, it's just better to wait until it shows up on Netflix Instant. So, what do you do about spoilers?

The spoiler topic has become a hot button issue nowadays because there are so many opportunities to be spoiled from twitter and Facebook to message boards and podcasts. So, what are the rules for spoilers? The geniuses of CollegeHumor have come out with a PSA on Spoiler Etiquette (mainly for TV shows), with some help from a few famous faces.



And I agree. Also, it's true, if you go on the Internet searching and stumble across a spoiler, it's your own damn fault.

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Awesome News of the Day: THE LOVED ONES Being Released in June!

Jonesy here. One benefit of going to film festivals is getting to see some great foreign films. However the downside is 90% of the time these films never get distribution in the US, so it's unfair to rave and go on and on about them when the mainstream audience won't ever get a chance to see them. And then we get exciting news like this: THE LOVED ONES, an Australian horror film, is getting distribution in the US!

We were lucky to get to see this film at The Dallas International Film Festival in 2010, and it became one of our favorites from the festival. It's dark, sinister, and twisted. And come June, you'll be able to see it in theatres.

Check out the trailer and synopsis:

Lola Stone asked Brent Mitchell to the prom, but Brent said no, and now he's screwed. What happens when Lola doesn't get what she wants? She enlists Daddy's help to throw a prom of her own where she is queen and Brent is king, whether he likes it or not. THE LOVED ONES is what happens when puppy love goes horribly, violently wrong. Brent should have said yes.

You can go to the film's official website and sign up to bring THE LOVED ONES to your town. Trust me. If you're into unique and twisted horror films, you will want this to come to your town.

THE LOVED ONES starring Xavier Samuel, Robin McLeavy, and John Brumpton will be released in June, 2012. 

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Netflix Instant: Cool TV and Movie Picks

Jonesy here with another installment of Netflix Instant picks. Some weeks my picks have a theme, and others, like this week, is a tad more random. With Spring Break coming up for some, now is the time to catch up on a few movies/TV shows on Netflix.

HUNGER

Part of the Criterion Collection that shows how strong of an actor Michael Fassbender is. HUNGER is powerful, moving, and visually stunning. 

THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW

This is a sentimental pick for me. I felt like I grew up watching Nick at Night, and this was one of my favorite shows. The whole ensemble is wonderful to watch and just fills the nostalgia part of my heart.

HARVARD BEATS YALE 29-29

Strange title, but a fantastic documentary. Many famous names are dropped who were among the students during this time including Tommy Lee Jones, George W. Bush, Al Gore, Meryl Streep, and Gary Trudeau.  The rivalry between these schools run deep, and this film mixes old 1968 footage and present day interviews to describe the feelings during and around the game.

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DIFF 2012: Centerpiece Gala and Closing Night Festivities Announced! Plus Festival Dedications and Digital Initiatives!

The Dallas Film Society Announces

Exclusive Southwest Premiere of MY WAY to be Centerpiece Gala at the Dallas International Film Festival with celebrated
South Korean Director, Kang Je-Gyu

25^th Anniversary Celebration of ROBOCOP with cast and crew reunion to mark Closing Night festivities

DIFF 2012 to be dedicated to Cinemark’s film industry visionaries,
Lee Roy and Tandy Mitchell

Groundbreaking digital initiatives will launch the Festival to a new audience through live streaming and exclusive online content

The Dallas International Film Festival presented by Boardwalk Auto Group Volkswagen Dealers announced today that the South Korean epic, MY WAY (2011) will be featured in one of the coveted Centerpiece screening slots with director, Kang Je-Gyu in attendance. 

 The Closing Night festivities will be marked by a special cast and crew reunion to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the Sci-Fi classic ROBOCOP, which was shot in Dallas.  

DIFF also announced that the 2012 Festival will be dedicated to Cinemark’s Lee Roy and Tandy Mitchell.  Additionally, groundbreaking digital initiatives will launch the Festival to a new audience through live streaming and exclusive online content.

For the 2012 DIFF, artistic director, James Faust is featuring South Korean films and filmmaking as its international spotlight.  As one of the biggest productions in South Korean history, the WWII epic, MY WAY (courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment and CJ Entertainment) will be featured as the Festival’s Tuesday night Centerpiece on April 17.  Famed South Korean director, Kang Je-gyu (TAE GUK GI: THE BROTHERHOOD OF WAR (2004); SWIRI (1999)) from Seoul, South Korea will present the film in Dallas for the first time to a Southwest audience.  “There is a very strong Korean community in Dallas and a real interest in its film industry,” said James Faust. “MY WAY and Kang Je-gyu will thrill our audience.  Inspired by a true story, the imagery and cinematography in this film is breathtaking but it’s also a classic story about friendship, dedication and sacrifice.  As MY WAY features the international star power of Dong-gun Jang, Jo Odagiri and Fan BingBing, we have a truly compelling Tuesday night Centerpiece that showcases the breadth of South Korean filmmaking.  This is exactly what I hoped for when creating this International Spotlight category.”

Wrapping the 2012 Festival on Saturday, April 21 will be the 25^th anniversary celebration of ROBOCOP.  Presented in partnership with the Dallas Film Commission, the historic Texas Theatre will host many of the cast and crew that worked on the film for the film’s first official reunion since it was shot in Dallas 25 years ago.

Lynn McBee, Chairman of the Dallas Film Society Board of Directors announced that the 2012 Dallas International Film Festival presented by Boardwalk Auto Group Volkswagen Dealers will be dedicated to Texas natives and Cinemark visionaries, Lee Roy and Tandy Mitchell, who founded Cinemark USA, Inc in 1987. Cinemark is now the highest attended theatre circuit in the world and operates the second largest number of screens for worldwide theatre exhibitors with 456 theatres and 5,152 screens in 39 States and 13 Latin American countries.  “I am so proud to be dedicating the 2012 Festival to Lee Roy and Tandy Mitchell.  They are extremely deserving of this accolade,” said Lynn McBee. “What they have achieved in the last 25 years at Cinemark is an inspiration.  Over 247 million guests across the world attended the Cinemark theatre circuit in 2011. They help put film on a pedestal by offering breakthrough technologies, comfort, and maximum entertainment value at each of their Cinemark theatres.  It is important to us at the Dallas Film Society that we recognize the exceptional achievements of trailblazers within the film industry and there is no better example than Lee Roy and Tandy. Lee Roy, Cinemark’s Chairman, famously says ““Eventually you have to go out on a limb, because that’s where the fruit is.” We want to honor that passion and vision at our festival.”

For the first time, DIFF is launching digital initiatives that promise to offer the Festival experience to a worldwide audience.  Partnering with San Antonio-based NewTek and cloud-based video platform Livestream, DIFF will use NewTek’s TriCaster system to deliver the fest experience live online, in hi-definition, as well as create video content for instant playback. Live and recorded events will be streamed at http://ctsp0.vresp.com/c/?DallasFilmSociety/f72278bb8b/fc19b76fdc/7541ed6fe4 throughout the Festival’s run from the star-studded opening night red carpet, to one-on-one interviews with filmmakers, to capturing Q&A’s with cast and crew and special guests, to the final awards ceremony, the Dallas Film Society Honors. “Each year the Festival is attended by more than 30,000 people, all here to see some of the year’s highly-anticipated independent films,” said Lee Papert, president and CEO of the Dallas Film Society. “Online video coverage of our events can offer this extraordinary content to a larger audience and introduce film lovers to films and filmmakers that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to see. This takes DIFF to a whole new level for us and by expanding our virtual audience it means we can touch many more film lovers across the world.  That is exhilarating for us.”

In preparation for the Festival, DIFF is launching a new, state-of-the-art website developed by Pencilneck Software, a Dallas and Canadian company dedicated to the development of new web technology.  The festival’s site http://ctsp0.vresp.com/c/?DallasFilmSociety/f72278bb8b/fc19b76fdc/b85a153dd3 will feature a responsive design that allows the site to instantly adapt to any platform — desktop, tablet or mobile device and it will bring the excitement of the Festival to its homepage in April with news, live video, Festival information and social interaction.

A final addition to the DIFF digital line-up comes through partnering with highly respected ticketing solution provider Prekindle to handle its most crucial customer-service areas: the Box Office and the Online Festival Guide.  Prekindle’s expertise will be seen at the 2012 DIFF Box Office at the Festival Village in Mockingbird Station and in their complex, custom Internet software that gives the Festival the ability to publish its first ever online Festival Guide. The guide gives attendees unique scheduling and purchasing options, allows DIFF to fully describe its films and events, and gives films and filmmakers more online exposure and promotional capabilities.

Passes are currently for sale and range from $100 for a Festival Lounge Pass to $750 for an all-access Star Pass.  Tickets go on sale at the Prekindle Box Office and online to the public on March 22. The Prekindle Box Office will be featured as part of the Festival Village at Mockingbird Station. For further information on pass levels and how to purchase passes visit: www.dallasfilm.org or telephone 214.720.0555.

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For Funsies: Simpsons Spoofs Game Of Thrones Opening

Javi here. It seems every that has anything related to movies or TV has posted about this, but it's too cool not to share, especially given that today, the first season of GAME OF THRONES came out on Blu-ray today. Via Cinema Blend, we see The Simpsons get a little relevant with their spoof of the amazing HBO show. Hit the jump to check out the video with the original opening for comparison.

MEN IN BLACK 3 Trailer Breakdown

Jonesy here with another installment of Trailer Breakdown. A couple months ago we got a teaser for MEN IN BLACK 3. The teaser didn't show us too much, but now we have our full trailer. I know it's hard to hold in your excitement, but it's time to bust out your Will Smith "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" single as we flash back to the past.

Check the trailer after the jump

Austin's Alamo Drafthouse Will Be Showing "Summer of '82" Series of Movies, Makes Us Wish We Could Move Down There ASAP.

If the increase of trailers on television are any indication, you know that summer is just around the corner. Even though you may be counting down the days until THE DARK KNIGHT RISES or STEP-UP 4, The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin has decided to celebrate summer in a different way.

The Drafthouse will be showing movies that were released in the summer of 1982, which they dub as "The Greatest Summer of Movies...Ever", which makes us want to move down to Austin, like yesterday.

Check out the trailer for this event after the jump.

Netflix Instant: Cool TV & Movies

Javi here with another picks for Netflix Instant. Even though Netflix lost the Starz license this week and a lot of the more popular titles are gone now, there are still many gems available. Let me show you three of them after the break! 

For Funsies: Optimus Prime Endorses NASA

Javi here. I'll be honest, this isn't really Optimus Prime talking about NASA, but rather voice actor Peter Cullen narrating the history of exploration. I'm not going to lie when I say if Morgan Freeman ever stops narrating nature documentaries, Peter Cullen should get the job. I get chills just listening to the authority in his voice. Check out the video below, which comes courtesy of the RealNASA YouTube account via TFW2005.com


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FRANKENWEENIE Trailer Hits And I Can't Wait!

Javi here. Up until the whole "remake/ dark remaining fairy tales" phase of his career, I was a pretty big fan of Tim Burton. To say that I have no excitement for whatever unfortunate Johnny Depp collaboration he has coming up is an understatement. However, I am glad to see that he is coming back to the animated realm with a feature-length version  of his short, FRANKENWEENIE. Thanks to Yahoo, via Badass Digest, we have the trailer here. Check it out after the break.