RUMOR: APPLE TO STREAM MOVIES USING iCLOUD

Apple's iCloud may have only just launched but according to rumors reported by the LA Times and Wall Street Journal, it's already negotiating with Hollywood to add movies to the service.

The timing is particularly curious because Apple, along with Disney, is one of the notable holdouts from the movie studio-backed Ultraviolet scheme, which launches the first two movies on Friday. However, according to "people familiar with the matter" it could allow Ultraviolet access on iDevices via an app, while also bringing its usual media lock-in magic by also throwing in streaming copies of any flicks purchased on iTunes, but only on its own hardware. Recently activated streaming of purchased TV shows to the Apple TV shows the cloud's potential, but we'll have to wait for deals to be signed before that North Carolina datacenter puts Hollywood's best on its to-do list.

LEAKED COPY OF "SUPER 8" TURNS UP ON P2P NETWORKS, POINTS TO HOWARD STERN AS OWNER

Poor-quality cammed copies of Super 8 started turning up online as soon as the movie premiered, but during the last 24 hours the game has gotten a whole lot more interesting. Several P2P release groups have uploaded the movie in high-quality, each one apparently sourced from the same studio-issued DVD Screener.

As can be seen from the screenshot below, the copy has the usual watermarks across the bottom of the screen stating that the movie is the property of Paramount Pictures. However, in the top right hand corner is another watermark which appears to indicate who the copy was given to – H STERN.

The watermark runs throughout the entire copy and although it’s possible that someone is trying to have some fun at Mr Stern’s expense by putting it there, it seems unlikely that a release group would do such a thing.

Furthermore, if that was the case and a clean ‘unpranked’ copy was available, it would turn up very quickly indeed. At the moment it seems that all release groups are using the same source.

The other possibility of course is that there is another H STERN on the DVD Screener list. Likely? We’ll probably find out on Monday.

THEATER OWNERS READY TO FIGHT STUDIOS OVER $30 PREMIUM VOD PLANS

While we're not exactly in a hurry to spend $30 each on 60-day delayed movie rentals, theater owners are quite upset by the whole premium video-on-demand plan apparently being pushed by Warner, Sony, Fox and Universal. The most active objector so far appears to be AMC Theaters, which announced yesterday it would notify studios that it plans to "adapt its economic model" regarding movies bound for p-VOD. What it wants is likely a bigger slice of the revenue and also a heads up on which movies will be getting the earlier releases. Rival theater chains Regal and Cinemark have already expressed plans to cut promotion and screens for movies headed to p-VOD, but without any official announcement it's still not clear which movies those will be. Of course, cutting down promo and screens cuts into the theater's own revenue, so we'll consider this one another waiting game and wait to see who blinks first.

WARNER BROS. TO RENT MOVIES VIA FACEBOOK

If you were looking for something more worthwhile to spend Facebook credits on than virtual trinkets for some game, Warner has an idea: all those movies you said you "liked." Starting today it is testing out a plan to rent movies right on their respective pages for 30 Facebook credits / $3 each. The first one on deck is The Dark Knight (again?) which should be live later today, with more available to rent or purchase in the future. there's no word on resolution or other features, but at the price we're assuming SD only. Full details are in the press release after the break, but the rentals have the standard 48-hour VOD window and can be paused/resumed simply by logging back into Facebook.

RUMOR: BLADE RUNNER TO GET PREQUEL/SEQUEL

According to Variety, Alcon Entertainment is in final talks to secure film, television and ancillary rights for Blade Runner. Fans of the original movie will be happy to hear those rights do not include the ability to remake the original movie.

Once secured by Alcon their next step is not entirely clear since they are still trying to figure that out as well. The entertainment company hasn’t even decided whether or not Ridley Scott, the original director of the film, will be involved in any future movies. In fact, it sounds like the only thing that is a definite is that Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson, who are with Alcon Entertainment, won’t direct.

In Blade Runner, Harrison Ford plays a retired police officer who while active would hunt down biologically engineered humanoids referred to as replicants. Replicants are used on off-world colonies and legally cannot return to Earth. When they do, they are hunted down by special police officers like Ford referred to as “blade runners.” Unwillingly, Ford is drafted back into service as a blade runner and the plot takes off from there.

While Blade Runner did poorly at the box office in its initial run, it has developed a cult following which has led to interest in the possibility of making prequels or sequels based on the storyline.

AMAZON STARTS FREE MOVIE & TV STREAMING FOR ITS PRIME CUSTOMERS

This morning Amazon announced a very useful perk for all their Prime subscribers: free video streaming. Users now have have access to about 5000 movies and TV shows which they will be able to stream on-demand, without having to pay anything above their normal Prime subscription rate ($79/year).

Amazon Prime was originally devised as way for frequent Amazon.com customers to get free two-day shipping on all their purchases. Now it’s not just a free shipping service that ties people into Amazon for all their online purchases, but also a Netflix competitor.

Amazon’s selection isn’t up to the same level that Netflix is at (about 20,000 shows/movies), but it’s essentially free so it’s hard to complain. Netflix’s streaming-only account is $96/year so if you don’t mind the smaller selection offered by Amazon, you can get free shipping on all your goods and save $21 a year by going with Prime. [Geek]

REDBOX REAFFIRMS STREAMING OPTION

In a meeting with analysts, Redbox President Mitch Lowe reaffirmed the Coinstar-owned company’s plans to launch a Netflix “Watch Instantly” competitor this year. Coinstar CEO Paul Davis first confirmed the forthcoming service last year during an earnings call, though he would not specify whether the company’s Internet streaming service would utilize an all-you-can-eat pricing model or and a la carte model. Lowe has now confirmed that the service will be subscription-based, but he did not indicate price points for the service. Redbox currently owns and operates a large network of unmanned DVD rental kiosks located throughout the country. These self-service kiosks, which are stocked with new releases and popular recent titles, allow customers to rent DVDs for as little as $1. Redbox still has not revealed a partner for its upcoming streaming service, though rumors suggest Amazon may be the most likely candidate. [BGR]

FIRECRACKER EXPLODES IN SUPER SLO-MOTION - VIDEO

Watching this firecracker explode in slo-motion is pretty impressive, but then again watching anything explode in slo-motion is impressive.

AMAZON BUYS UK MOVIE STREAMING/RENTAL SERVICE LOVEFILM

Amazon has just announced it has agreed terms to buy up all the remaining shares of Lovefilm it didn't already own. The British outfit operates a subscription-based movie rental and streaming service in its home market along with Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, and should give Amazon a very solid base from which to build its presumably Netflix-besting ambitions. Lovefilm has been just about the closest thing Europe has had to the ridiculously successful North American movie distributor and Amazon is arguably getting in just in time, given Netflix's overtures toward expanding into the UK. Customary closing conditions will need to be met before the final stamp of approval is applied, but the acquisition is expected to complete by the end of Q1 of this year.

BATMAN 3 VILLAINS NAMED

The villains of Christopher Nolan's third Batman movie will be Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, and... Bane, a 1990s 'roid freak who shattered Bruce Wayne's spine in the Knightfall crossover. Anne Hathaway will play Selina, while Tom Hardy will play Bane.

The press release quotes Nolan as saying about Hathaway, "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story." And about Hardy, he says: "I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman's most formidable enemies."

ROGER EBERT TRASHES TRON: LEGACY

Movie critic Roger Ebert has trashed the highly anticipated sequel to Tron, Tron:Legacy. The sequel is due on theatres this Friday and is expected to be a hit. Ebert thinks the action sequences are great, but you might want to a phone or beer bottle label to amuse you during the plot parts.

Ebert does praise the 3D effects during the action sequences as well as the musical score produced by Daft Punk. But he finishes the review on a downer, claiming the plot is "a catastrophe" and Tron Legacy is therefore unlikely to have staying power at the box office. [Gizmodo]

THE SOCIAL NETWORK WINS ANOTHER WEEKEND

The Social Network, aka the Facebook movie, is once again the number one movie, taking in $15.5 million for its second week.  Opening week saw the movie reap $23 million, bringing the total to $38.5 million.  The movie is close to breakeven with estimates of Sony spending $45-52 million total to make the movie and promotion.

Sony had hoped to get sales up to $100 million, but that number is looking very optimistic.  However, with the Oscar buzz and overwhelmingly positive reviews (Frank Rick of The New York Times calls it "brilliant"), there is still hope it will make that mark.  [TechCrunch]

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PT.1 WILL NOT BE IN 3D

Warner Bros. has announced Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 will not be 3D.  They have determined 3D is not right for this movie.  Warner Bros. said in a release:

Warner Bros Pictures has made the decision to release "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1" in 2D, in both conventional and IMAX theaters, as we will not have a completed 3D version of the film within our release date window. Despite everyone's best efforts, we were unable to convert the film in its entirety and meet the highest standards of quality. We do not want to disappoint fans who have long-anticipated the conclusion of this extraordinary journey, and to that end, we are releasing our film day-and-date on November 19, 2010 as planned. We, in alignment with our filmmakers, believe this is the best course to take in order to ensure that our audiences enjoy the consummate "Harry Potter" experience. [Gizmodo]

MONSTERS TRAILER

Monsters, the sci-fi, horror, thriller invasion movie has released the official trailer on YouTube.  The story revolves around a photo-journalist hired to bring back a wealthy man's daughter from an area around the alien infection zone.  The movie does not focus on the alien invasion, but instead on the photographer and daughter as they try to get back to the United States and what they see and document on the way there.

This movie, according to rumors, was shot with a budget between $15,000 and $500,000.  Gareth Edwards wrote, directed, shot, edited and handled special effects for the movie.  Most of the dialogue is ad-libbed with a loose framework scripted around it.

RUMOR: STUDIOS IN TALKS TO OFFER STREAMING MOVIES

Bloomberg is reporting that Disney, Warner Bros. and Sony are in talks with In Demand to offer movies "soon after their theater runs" via a streaming option.  They will offer the movies for $30.  Disney is looking to stream movies through the Xbox 360 and Playstation3 as well.

This is not the first time a studio has tested this method.  Sony tried it twice before with Hancock and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.  They charged $25 for those movies. Would anyone pay that kind of money to watch a movie early? [Gizmodo]

FACEBOOK MOVIE GETTING RAVE REVIEWS

The soon to be released movie about Facebook, The Social Network, is receiving rave reviews.  Peter Sciretta of /Film stated it is his "favorite movie of the year (so far)."  The Sydney Morning Herald had this to say about the film ""This is an astounding film about one of the most important seismic shifts in communication in the modern age, and the way innovation and ethics are not often related."

While this is not the final cut of the film, it was screened for a select few reviews to gauge the reaction.  The movies production team was worried about people's negative reaction to coding, programming and arguments about typeface.  All that has apparently been laid to rest with the reviews of the preview.  Cinematical said that "with The Social Network, director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin turn some fairly dry, nerdy content about fairly dry, nerdy characters into one of the must-see films of the year, and they don't waste any time getting right to it." [Gizmodo]

FLASH TREATMENT TURNED IN

Greg Guggenheim, co-writer of The Green Lantern movie, says a treatment for the Flash has been handed into Warner Bros.  No word yet on the concept or any details of the possible movie.

In other news, Greg also stated he is in talks about Green Lantern 2.   Green Lantern is currently filming in New Orleans and stars Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan.

WEBSITE FOR "THE SOCIAL NETWORK" GOES LIVE

The offiicial website for the movie "The Social Network" has launched.  The movie hits theaters October 1st.

"The Social Network" takes a look at the youngest billionaire in history, Jeff Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook and the personal and legal complications his success has brought him.  It stars Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Rooney Mara, Brenda Song, Max Minghella and Justin Timberlake.

LEAKED: NEW TRON LEGACY TRAILER

A new Tron Legacy trailer has hit the interwebs.  While it doesn't show a whole lot of things we haven't seen before it is still worth a look.

Tron Legacy is a movie about 27 year old Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) still haunted by his father's, Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), disappearance.  Kevin was once known as the world's leading video game developer.  When Sam tracks down the source of a mysterious signal sent from Sam's old arcade he finds himself pulled into a digital world, where he and his father embark on a life or death journey across a cyber universe.

Tron Legacy hits theaters and IMAX 3D on December 17th. [Latino Review]

'GHOST RIDER' GOES 3D

The sequel to Ghost Rider is going to be filmed in 3D vs. having it done in post-production.  Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengence is set to begin filming in Romania this fall.  Nicholas Cage will be reprising his role of Johnny Blaze and stated:

"I'll be filming it in Romania, which is exciting, since that's where Dracula's castle is.  The Ghost Rider has to write (sic) up to the Dracula's castle."


Why he is riding up to Dracula's castle is up for debate as the official plot synopsis has not been released yet.