Aug 04

Calling All Filmmakers – Movie Extra Webfest 2.0 Launches

Okay all you Australian filmmakers, here is your chance to win a $50,000 production budget for a new web series.

After last year’s successful Movie Extra Webfest competition, the Movie Network Channels has announced that Movie Extra Webfest 2.0 is now on. For registration, submissions, regular competition updates, announcements or if you want to vote on entries go to www.facebook.com/movieextrawebfest.

Movie Extra Webfest 2.0 invites you budding filmmakers out there to pitch your original webseries via a 60 second trailer that you upload to the Movie Extra Webfest Facebook competition page. Continue reading

Aug 03

Film Actually Presents The League – Exclusive Morgan Spurlock Interview

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David McVay of the Film Actually podcast, representing a dynamic group of bloggers known collectively as The League, got a chance to have a telephone chat with director Morgan Spurlock (“Super Size Me”) about his new film “POM Wonderful Presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold”. The new film is a documentary about product placement in films. Morgan generously answered questions from the entire League. Some of the topics covered: What attracts Morgan to the documentary form, what scares Morgan Spurlock, can you really make an independent film today, what advice would he give new filmmakers and did he consider contacting McDonalds. We also get a little info on his next film, a little documentary about Comic-Con.

We need to thank Jorge Duran for really driving to get this interview, Shauna and Harriet over at Nixco for making the interview a reality and of course Morgan Spurlock for taking some time out of his busy schedule to talk to us.

About The League
In the beginning there was chaos, a vast information network that provided few islands of hope. Then there was a light, a shimmering hope in the darkness. A portal for lovers of the wonders of celluloid and the entertainment industry. Then there came another, and another ushering in a golden age of wonders the likes the world had never seen. By day, they live out their lives as the humble David McVay of Geek Actually, Jorge Duran of The Spotlight Report, Richard Gray of The Reel Bits and Dave Longo of Damn Good Cup, but when the signal goes out they come together as one! The League assembles! Tremble all who dare stand in its path!

The Music used in this special presentation comes from the original soundtrack to “POM Wonderful Presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold”. The track is “The Greatest Song I Ever Heard” by OK Go.

The Film Actually podcast can be found on iTunes or watched live every Saturday.

Aug 02

David is Quoted on Fox Entertainment News

As you know, one of our good friends here at Geek Actually is Fox Entertainment reporter Hollie McKay. She just published a story on Foxnews.com about Hollywood being creatively bankrupt and she quoted me, pretty cool stuff.

Here is a taste of her article:

But according to film expert and founder of GeekActually.com, David McVay, it isn’t that the entertainment industry has no new ideas to share. It is instead a case of studio executives being driven by an ever-increasing focus on the bottom line.

“The Hollywood system is only after huge box office returns. They have huge studios and infrastructure to pay for. There are a lot of great original films ready to be made out there, [but] most are falling to the independent scene because they are more willing to take risks,” he said. 

Read the whole article by shooting over to Foxnews.com.

Thanks Hollie.

Aug 01

Film Actually Ep049 (141) – Captain America The First Avenger

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Hosts: David McVay & Josh Philpott and guest Sean Lindsay

This week David and Josh are joined by Sean Lindsay (3dhorizon.com.au) for a review of “Captain America The First Avenger”. They also take a look at some entertainment news, including Frank Darbont leaving “The Walking Dead” and the new trailers for “Battleship”, “Tower Heist” and “Red State”. Plus an all new Lists of Five: Five Classic Movies You Would Like To See Converted To 3D. Film Actually is the official movie podcast of geekactually.com.

If you are an iTunes user, please leave a review. Your comments (good or bad) help us improve the show. This show carries an explicit tag due to infrequent coarse language.

Listen or download it here or subscribe to it on iTunes

Make sure you check out our other fine podcast Geek Actually for all your tech and geek culture needs.

*Update 31/07/2012 – Film Actually was a split off from the main Geek Actually show and originally maintained numbering continuity with that show. That logic no longer works as the shows have become two unique entities, so we have gone back and re-numbered the Film Actually shows to reflect their true episode number. This show is now officially episode 49 but when you listen to the show you will hear it referred to as episode 141, this is why. Sorry about any confusion or inconvenience.

Film Actually is recorded live every Saturday. Go to geekactually.com/live for the schedule and to watch it

Your show notes:

What We’ve Been Watching

Films featured in the section are “Hanna”, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”, “Your Highness”, “Apocalypse Now”, “Akira” and “Triangle”.

Feature Film Review

“Captain America The First Avenger” directed by Joe Johnston and written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely based on the Marvel Comics character created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. It stars Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper and Toby Jones.

It is 1942, America has entered World War II, and sickly but determined Steve Rogers is frustrated at being rejected yet again for military service. Everything changes when Dr. Erksine recruits him for the secret Super Soldier Program. Proving his extraordinary courage, wits and conscience, Rogers undergoes the experiment and his weak body is transformed into a powerful Super Soldier. When the project is sabotaged by the Evil Red Skull’s agent, Rogers is left as a unique man who is initially misused as a propaganda mascot. However, when his comrades need him, Rogers goes on a successful adventure that truly makes him Captain America. Along with his best friend Bucky and the Howling Commandos, Captain America sets out to destroy the Red Skull and his evil Hydra organisation.

Our Verdict: An excellent comic book adaptation. A great fun adventure film that will make you smile.

Watch the trailer here: http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/captainamericathefirstavenger/

Entertainment Buzz

First Trailer for Peter Berg’s “Battleship”. What does this have to do with the game?
https://geekactually.com/2011/07/31/trailer-battleship/

Frank Darabont steps down as show runner for “The Walking Dead”.
http://www.deadline.com/2011/07/walking-dead-shocker-frank-darabont-steps-down-as-showrunner/

The trailer for Brett Ratner’s new film “Tower Heist”
https://geekactually.com/2011/07/31/trailer-tower-heist/

Talk about confusing: Joe Pesci sues studio because he is dropped from Gotti Pic.
http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/actor-joe-pesci-sues-the-producers-of-gotti-in-the-shadow-of-my-father-claiming-he-got-fat-for-a-role-promised-to-him/story-e6frfmvr-1226103772910

The double standards of the Comic-Con dress code.
http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/fashion/actress-and-americas-next-top-model-winner-adrianne-curry-kicked-out-of-comic-con-2011-for-aeon-flux-outfit/story-e6frfn7i-1226103177034

The new Red Band trailer for “Red State” – wow!
https://geekactually.com/2011/07/31/new-trailer-kevin-smiths-red-state/

Lists of Five

This week our Lists of Five: Five Classic Movies You Would Like To See Converted To 3D. Let’s start with a little caveat, we really don’t want to see any film converted to 3D, but if they are going to do it anyway here are five that we would like to see.

Just a reminder, because we never like to just make things easy on ourselves, our lists are not necessarily top five lists, they are more or a less a list of film recommendations within the theme of the list.

The Rest…

David’s “My Year With Movies” blog is on Tumbr

Join us on our Facebook Fan Page: facebook.com/GeekActually or follow Geek Actually on Twitter @geekactually

Make sure you check out our new range of Geek Actually swag at cafepress.com.au/geekactually

The Reel Junkies podcast can be found at weekendronin.com

Brad and Charlie (formerly of “Movie Fan House”) are back, their new site is ReboundRadio.com and their new podcast is “Good Day Sir!”

Rachelle is over at The Funky Film Show, Thursdays on Radio Freemantle 107.9 FM or radiofreemantle.com

Find out about Josh’s other site and to listen to his other show DLC Live go to RawDLC.com or follow him on Twitter @DoGM3At

Find More of Sean Lindsay at 3Dhorizon.com.au or follow him on Twitter @3DHorizonAU. Remember to like the 3D Horizon AU Facebook page to go into the running to win that great Captain America trade hardback from Sean. For details for here.

Our show logo is by Josh Spencer over at Spencer Cartoons at  http://attackninja.blogspot.com

Our opening clip this week is from the 1990 film “Captain America”.

We close the show with the ‘Captain America March’ from the “Captain America The First Avenger” soundtrack by Alan Silvestri.

Jul 31

Trailer: Tower Heist

Let me just start by saying that I love a good heist film and when they incorporate humour they just get better. “Tower Heist” is directed by Brett Ratner, with a not so great track record with the geeks after “X-Men The Last Stand” but it should be noted that “Rush Hour” and “After the Sunset” were both fun films. At this point I think I am more interested in seeing a Brett Ratner film than a Michael Bay film, a position I didn’t think I would find myself in. With “Tower Heist” I’m willing to give Ratner the benefit of the doubt because this trailer is really strong. This film looks like fun, simple as that.

Ratner has assembled a killer cast with Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Matthew Broderick, Téa Leoni, Casey Affleck, Michael Peña, Gabourey Sidibe and Alan Alda. The plot is simple, a group of guys get stung by a Ponzi scheme so they conspire to rob his high-rose apartment. Let the fun begin.

“Tower Heist” is due for release in November.

Jul 31

New Trailer: Kevin Smith’s Red State

Here is the new trailer for Kevin Smith’s new “Red State” and let me just warn in advance that this is NSFW. We discussed this trailer on the most recent Film Actually episode (episode 141) and I thought I’d throw it up here because it is just awesome.

We have recently found out that “red State” is probably coming to Australia in September, I can’t wait. This is not your typical Kevin Smith film, he has stretched his creative muscles and has mad what looks to be a horror/thriller about religious fundamentalists. The film is written and directed by Smith and stars Michael Parks, Melissa Leo and John Goodman.