Interview with Alaina Huffman

Check out some event photos, as I went out on the event floor and cosplayed! I present to you Marcey as Rose Tyler from Dr Who who stole Tom Baker’s scarf!

Marcey with the Delorean

Nicholas Brendon

Amanda Tapping

Robin Dunne

Marcey with Han Solo frozen in carbonite

Some of the 501st Legion

The Joker, part of DC’s huge booth

The Dr’s companion found the TARDIS

EPIC posing

The companion finds a Dr, in scarf wars!

Straight from the Grid!

Local legend Colin Wilson sketching away

International comic artist guest Frank Cho with the best sketch of the show!

Elijah Wood, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Mandy Moore, Paul Reubens, Lance Henriksen, and Bruce Boxleitner provide voices for the series.

Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series follows Beck, a young program who becomes the unlikely leader of a revolution inside the computer world of The Grid. His mission is to free his home and friends from the reign of the villainous Clu and his henchman General Tesler. Beck will be trained by Tron – the greatest warrior the Grid has ever known. Tron will not only teach Beck the fighting skills he needs to challenge this brutal military occupation, but will be a guide and mentor to him as he grows beyond his youthful, impulsive nature into a courageous, powerful leader. Destined to become the new protector of the system, Beck adopts Tron’s persona and becomes the archenemy of Tesler and his oppressive forces.

We are going to have to wait just a little bit on this, as it’s still in production for its Summer 2012 debut. Thoughts?

Source: Collider

Jeff Bridges, will be auctioning off his painting inspired by Tron to benefit Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign, for which he is the national spoke person. In addition to the original painting, a limited number of signed prints will also be sold to raise funds for the charity.

Click here for the auction site.

Here’s the painting:

“As the national spokesperson for Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, Jeff Bridges’ commitment to others is exemplary,” said Bill Shore, founder and executive director of the hunger non-profit. “This donation is another example of how important the work of ending childhood hunger is to Jeff and one of the many reasons we feel honored to be working with him.”

Find out more here.

The Film:

28 years ago, Tron was state of the art, but it also was a sci-fi fantasy of wishful thinking to where video games could go. Full-on user interface, a digital relationship that extends past the joystick seemed highly far-fetched in 1982. Even though Tron seemed like a precursor, in recent years with Wi-Fi, the Wii, and now the Kinect, Tron feels oddly like a godfather. For the iPad generation, Tron: Legacy should not feel like a world of tomorrow, but a world that will happen tomorrow. Digital dreams made true. Flynn would be proud.

Tron: Legacy is a stunning event picture that marries every known technological aid to its advantage, making its inception a digital hallmark, something that George Lucas tried to ring in with his Star Wars prequels, and failed. Tron: Legacy makes those look darn right analog. Credit Joseph Kosinski, who in his directorial debut, ushers in a new pinnacle in movie-making. Of course, he benefits from efforts before him who have succeeded and failed, but no one has yet crafted a visual wonder with flawless CG, mo-cap, and green screen like this wonder kid. He’s a new voice to get excited about. This is Avatar 2.0.

True, visuals will only carry you so far, and I’m sure many will view Tron: Legacy on just that note, and then decide its fate, but while the film does gloss over some potential for depth in its world, it’s fairly complex in its digital morality tale. Flynn and CLU 2 (both played by Jeff Bridges) strive feverishly for perfection, but it’s only Flynn who through failure realizes perfection is just a word, and it’s through error do we ultimately succeed. His world of Tron has evolved thanks to CLU 2, but not without some its hidden motive.

I think there’s something to the correlation of CLU 2′s need to be in the real world, and our need to be fully connected digitally. When will we stop? Are humans on a technological warpath that will eventually lead into the fiction that director Steven Lisberger originally had Flynn achieve? It’s a fascinating nugget to analysis, but with the wonders of the IMAX screen, with the light cycle battles and disc throws, it’s hard not to be caught up into this world of Tron. In fact, the IMAX 3D is the only preferred way to see the film. It’s epic and an experience you won’t get elsewhere.

Tron: Legacy is the next big thing. It’s a visual marvel, with its wonderful musical companion in Daft Punk’s monumental score. Thanks to a visionary director, Joseph Kosinski, who is a new voice in film making, Tron: Legacy will live on for years to come. It might not be a perfect experience, but what is? Tron is given little to do, sadly, and Michael Sheen’s character feels like a rejected extra from some video off of Marilyn Manson’s Mechanical Animals album, but Tron: Legacy – The IMAX 3D Experience is an event worth attending. Or at least, until the next upgrade comes out.

The 3D Blu-ray:

Audio/Video: Disney unleashes digital perfection. They’ve been one of the better mainstream studios releasing their titles on Blu-ray and they’ve also been the leaders – in my opinion – in 3D Blu-ray releases and Tron: Legacy is one the the top releases early in the format’s life.

3D: First of all, the disc has three formats it shifts through – as intended by director Joseph Kosinski – so you’ll see the full framed IMAX footage (like The Dark Knight Blu-ray), switching between 2D and 3D, but nothing here hurts the picture quality. The 3D is just as good here at home as it was theatrically. Colors are bright, vivid, as are the blacks. Details are almost too good. It’s 1080p perfection.

2D: Even in this format, the HD picture is a marvel. Granted, the film was made for 3D, but even if you just buy the standard Blu-ray release, you’ll get one of the best HD picture samples on the market. Nothing changes from my above statements.

The DTS audio is pure demo room material. From Daft Punk’s amazing score, to the constantly active surround sound mix, and to the deep bass, this is a home theater mix that should either knock pictures off of the wall or have your neighbors calling the cops. Despite all of the action, nothing ever blurs together. Each sound effect has its place, so you’ll never have it over-power the mix, forcing dialogue to drown out. It’s more perfection from Disney.

The below extras are only found on the 2D Blu-ray disc of this four-disc release (3D Blu-ray/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy).

The Next Day: Flynn Lives: This all-new short film (in HD) follows the events after the film, acting like a possible prelude to an unannounced third film. It’s kind of neat.

Launching the Legacy: While only 10 minutes in length, it’s not just another EPK making-of. They cram all sorts of information and interviews covering the production from storyboards to filming.

Visualizing Tron: Here’s another quick 10 minute making-of, but again, it’s quite good even in its brevity. This one focuses on the lighting and designs of the Tron world.

Installing the Cast: Here’s your EPK piece. This one focuses on the actors, their casting and work.

Disney Second Screen: Always innovative, Disney’s newest feature is this, as fans can download an app (here) to either play on their iPad or PC, featuring interactive features that play along with the film. It’s pretty neat, actually. There’s also a quick tutorial on how to use this.

Disc Roars is a quick look at hoe Kosinski recorded the audience at Comic Con to use as sound effects in the film; a Music Video by Daft Punk is included; and we finish it all off with the Trailers.

The DVD copy and Digital Copy round out the other two discs, as I have mentioned.

Conclusion: Great film, greater Blu-ray disc. A new standard in the early format life of 3D Blu-ray in technical terms. Only negative is the lack of fully developed extras.

The Film: Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The 3D Blu-ray: Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Joseph Kosinski on the development: I remember watching Tron on VHS sometime on the mid-80s and that it looked and sounded like nothing I had ever seen before. The first film was ambitious in so many ways – visually, conceptually, and technologically. I wanted this film to be just as ambitious in all of those respects. The 28 years of back story was certainly a challenge from a script writing point of view. However, it was important to me that our film did not require prior knowledge of the first film.

The first film was conceptually decades ahead of its time. Now the notion of ‘cyberspace’ and a digital avatar is almost second nature. Also, our story is more than anything a father/son (or sons) story, which hopefully appealed to those who normally wouldn’t go see a sci-fi film.

From the beginning, I was not interested in making a movie about the internet. I liked the idea that this world had been sealed off since 1989 and had evolved on its own, like the Galapogos Islands.

Joseph Kosinski on Jeff Bridges and CLU: Jeff was involved from the very beginning. The Buddhist qualities that Flynn has taken on since being trapped in the Grid was something that Jeff brought to the table. There are a quite a few lines in the film that Jeff came up with or ad-libbed in the scene.

CLU was certainly the most technically and conceptually ambitious aspect we chose to tackle on this film. There is nothing more difficult than creating a realistic human face, especially if it is someone we know like Jeff Bridges. I do hear the criticism, but I think I speak for the whole team when I say that we would rather be criticized for trying something new rather than for not trying at all.

I think Jeff [Bridges] found it to be a bit strange as you would imagine. He described it as feeling like the first moment you ever hear your own voice on tape — not exactly what you would expect. We used Jeff’s performance of CLU and remapped it onto a digital version of himself at 35 years old. I used the movie Against All Odds as a reference for CLU’s appearance.

Joseph Kosinski on the 3D cinematography: Claudio Miranda and I had done over a dozen TV commercials together before I asked him to join me on Tron: Legacy. From the beginning I told him I wanted this to be an “uplit” world, light had to come from the floor whenever possible. That was a huge challenge for him in that he had to coordinate with the production designer [Darren Gilford] in order to incorporate lighting into the architecture. We also pioneered a ceiling mounted motion control rig for the End Of Line club, which was another “first” for our movie. The thing I love about Claudio is that he is not only an incredible artist, but a brilliant technician.

I think when 3D is used correctly it can create a more immersive experience. It should never be a distraction. I knew this film had to be shot in 3D from the very beginning. There certainly are a lot of challenges it presents. The cameras a more cumbersome and prone to more technical issues. They slow down the shooting process a bit. And they make the visual effects process much more difficult, particularly on a film like this. However, in the end I’m glad we went the way we did.

Joseph Kosinski on the suits: Actually, the suits used an illuminated fabric. It was important to me that the characters would illuminate their environment and each other. That would be something that would be incredibly difficult to simulate in post-production.

Joseph Kosinski on Daft Punk: I have been a fan of theirs for a long time, so I set up a meeting with them back in 2007, before I had even shot the test piece. I told them I wanted to create a classic film score that blended electronic and classical music in a way that hadn’t been done before. They were amazing collaborators, and I am very proud of the work they did.

Joseph Kosinski on the IMAX footage and the Blu-ray: They are so precisely calibrated and maintained, that I found the IMAX presentation to be the best reflection of the movie I wanted to make. I spent a lot of time working with the folks at IMAX to make sure we delivered that experience. I was happy to see that we were able to include the IMAX version on the Blu-ray. And yes, all of the IMAX scenes are presented in full frame [much like The Dark Knight's Blu-ray presentation].

After Tron: Legacy opened theatrically, I was able to go back to Skywalker Sound and fix approximately 100 different aspects of the sound mix that bothered me. So, the domestic Blu-ray contains that completely remixed and remastered 7.1 audio track. I sometimes find that the quality of movie theaters out there can vary widely, particularly for a 3D movie, but I was impressed with the Blu-ray 3D. It holds up well even on a smaller screen. For me, seeing the movie on Blu-ray on a nice HD plasma screen is about as good as it gets.

Joseph Kosinski on Tron’s parallels to our lives: The idea of genetic algorithms and quantum teleportation are real concepts currently being researched right now. We met with scientists from CalTech and JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) to make sure that the science in our film was accurate. I think that technology can be an incredible tool. We wouldn’t be able to create a movie like this without it. However, it needs to be watched so that it doesn’t interfere with our personal relationships.

Tron: Legacy is out on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD from Disney, April 5th.

Of course, Disney doesn’t want to hurt their relationship with him, especially on the eve of a possible Tron 3 (here). Here’s the plot of the film, which will be a graphic novel first in the Fall of 2011: “From Tron Legacy director Joseph Kosinski and critically acclaimed creator Arvid Nelson (Rex Mundi) comes an original sci-fi adventure of epic proportions. In a future where the Earth’s surface has been irradiated beyond recognition, the remnants of humanity live above the clouds, safe from the brutal alien Scavengers that stalk the ruins. But when surface drone repairman Jak discovers a mysterious woman in a crash-landed pod, it sets off an unstoppable chain of events that will force him to question everything he knows.“

Check it out and Disney is releasing Tron and Tron: Legacy on Blu-ray and DVD April 5th.

Source: First Showing

Tron: Legacy

This trailer will also appear on the Tron: Legacy Blu-ray/DVD set.

Beck, a young program who becomes the unlikely leader of a revolution inside the computer world of The Grid. His mission is to free his home and friends from the reign of the villainous Clu 2 and his henchman General Tesler. Beck will be trained by Tron – the greatest warrior the Grid has ever known. Tron will not only teach Beck the fighting skills he needs to challenge this brutal military occupation, but will be a guide and mentor to him as he grows beyond his youthful, impulsive nature into a courageous, powerful leader. Destined to become the new protector of the system, Beck adopts Tron’s persona and becomes the archenemy of Tesler and his oppressive forces.

Thoughts?

From the press release: Sure to light-up fans this Spring, TRON: Legacy provides consumers with the ultimate Hi-Def Blu-ray experience with breathtaking 1080p visuals and superior 7.1 surround sounds that bring to life the visually stunning world of TRON. Taking you further behind the grid, are also in-depth bonus features on the making of the film (i.e., creating the futuristic vehicles and world of TRON, storyline mythologies, actors/characters and more) and the all-new Disney Second Screen interactive experience.

Disney Second Screen transforms the movie watching experience by allowing viewers to explore the story behind the film perfectly synced on a second device, like an iPad™ or laptop, without interrupting their enjoyment of the movie. By simply accessing the Disney Second Screen companion application on their Internet-connected device, consumers are able to dive deeper into the film by engaging with elements including 360-degree vehicle turnarounds, interactive progression reels, and more. Disney Second Screen directions and access codes can be found inside the Blu-ray Disc packaging.Audio syncing is powered by TVPLUS.

Expect a full review of these discs then!

Here’s the 5-disc Ultimate Tron Legacy Experience Edition (with glowing discs):

Here’s the 2-disc Blu-ray combo pack:

Here’s the 3D Blu-ray combo pack:

And finally, here’s the 2-movie Collection of Tron and Tron Legacy:

Just awesome. Can’t wait for the official announcement.

It’s not final, but provides a good indication of what we’ll see when it hits shelves. Also, The Digital Bits has a rumor that for one of the four Blu-ray set of Tron: Legacy will have Tron packaged with it, as well as the above solo release. Cool! An official announcement is forth coming. Personally, I can’t wait to see its new HD transfer and the extras.

Tron: Legacy screen writer Adam Horowitz explains the show to Box Office Magazine: “This animated show will take place from when Flynn is in a safe house. It’s from when Clu takes over the grid to before when Sam comes in. So if you were wondering what was the grid like before that, then watch the show.”

He goes on further: “To give you an example of how we approached storytelling sometimes is like when you’re in the End of Line club, when we first meet Castor and he’s being berated by one of the patrons saying, ‘I want an audience with Zuse.’ His name is Bartik, and there’s an entire back story we have for him. The guy with him, his name is Hopper, there’s a whole thing between the two of them, what they are doing in there, and how they got there.

It’s like over the years of developing this movie, we developed all these mythologies and all these back stories and all little tangential things. Did we have time to do the Bartik story? No. But now maybe the Bartik story is in the animated series —you know, he’s got a huge scar on his face. I want to know how he got that scar. We couldn’t sit down and write that there’s a guy with a scar on his face without knowing what the scar was. So we hope it adds to the depth of the movie.

Our intention is to try and make something that is more than just, let’s go get something. We treat Tron very, very seriously and as writers we try to have a reason and a world for everything and not all of it gets to be shown because in this particular movie, we only had two hours. [So] hopefully it fills in the blanks in and in a fun way and an intriguing way.”

Too bad the series is so far away. This sounds cool, I guess, depending on the animation used. Will you still care?

Source: /Film

Pron has directors Sam Hain and Lee Roy Meyers on board, Meyer’s had a few words to say about the film. “Jeff Bridges’ ex in the first one was Cindy Morgan. She was so hot, yet despite being a Playboy model, didn’t take her clothes off. But we’ve got Lexi Belle.”

Check out some photos from the upcoming film below.

Source: Screen Junkies, FleshBot (Warning, click at your own risk, NSFW)

As exciting as this is, don’t hold your breathe. It’s being planned for a Summer 2012 release.

“He told me that it’s a lot of subtle changes throughout the film, says Collider’s Steve Weintraub. “He went on to say that after remastering the movie, TRON feels closer to what he imagined it would feel like in terms of the color balance. He also says there is consistency that wasn’t there before and he got to play with the glow. Meaning, he tweaked things that couldn’t be done back in the early 80′s and I’m sure most of us won’t notice what he did.”

There’s no set release date, although since Tron Legacy‘s December 17th release date is around the corner, a safe estimate would be when the sequel hits Blu-ray/DVD early Spring 2011 for the original.

This should be another great HD Disney release when it does come out.