Visual Effects Society Winners 2012

I'm a bit late updating these winners list but here are the victors from feature film categories Visual Effects Society (VES) 10th annual awards gala.  As expected, both Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Rango topped in their categories but Hugo was a surprise winner in the supporting category.  Way to go, Hugo!  

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture

Hugo

Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature Motion Picture

Rango

Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture

Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Caesar

Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture

Rango - Rango

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture

Transformers: Dark of the Moon - 155 Wacker Drive

Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature Motion Picture

Rango - Main Street Dirt

Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture

Hugo

Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in an Animated Feature Motion Picture

Rango - The Dirt Saloon

Outstanding Models in a Feature Motion Picture

Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Driller

Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture

Captain America: The First Avenger - Skinny Steve

Visual Effects Society's best of the year

Also announcing their top nominated work of the past year were the Visual Effects Society (VES) for their 10th annual awards.  Let's see who got nominated.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture
Captain America: The First Avenger
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture
Anonymous
Hugo
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Source Code
War Horse

Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Arthur Christmas
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango
The Adventures of Tintin

Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Ukranian Ironbelly
Paul - Paul
Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Caesar
The Thing - Edvard/Adam

Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Puss in Boots - Puss
Rango - Rango
Rio - Nigel
The Adventures of Tintin - Tintin

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Anonymous - London
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Hogwarts
Thor - Heimdall's Observatory
Transformers: Dark of the Moon - 155 Wacker Drive

Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Puss in Boots - The Cloud World
Rango - Main Street Dirt
The Adventures of Tintin - Bagghar
The Adventures of Tintin - Docks
The Adventures of Tintin - Pirate Battle

Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Hugo
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Thor
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Arthur Christmas
Cars 2
Rango
The Adventures of Tintin

Outstanding Models in a Feature Motion Picture
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Hogwarts School Buildings
Hugo - Train Crash
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - Parking Garage
Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Driller

Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture
Captain America: The First Avenger
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Looks like The Adventures of Tintin is leading the pack with both Rise of the Planet of the Apes and the final Harry Potter right behind it.  Good luck to all the nominees, your hard work makes all the wonderful visuals onscreen look so effortless.  The awards will be announced on February 7th, 2012.

Mega Poster Edition: Bridesmaids, Pirates 4, Green Lantern, Transformers and more!

Last time, the boys from Hangover had the floor, this time it's the ladies who are bringing it this summer.

Maya Rudolph and Kirsten Wiig (who also wrote Bridesmaids), the ladies of SNL

Ellie Kemper (The Office) and Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly) are staring you down!

Rose Bryne and Wendi McLendon-Covey, who wore it better?

More posters from Green Lantern, Monte Carlo, Smurfs, Pirates 4 and Transformers after the cut.

Trailer Time: Super Bowl Edition

Well, the Green Bay Packers won Super Bowl XLV by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 but the real reason to tune in were the commercials.  In particular, lots and lots of movie trailers.  There's a long list ahead of us so let's get started.

Oh, brother, I'm trying very hard to control myself and not laugh at Chris Evans here.  It was all fine when the posters and stills were released of him as Captain America: The First Avenger.  But the effects seem really cheesy and what are they aiming for? A Hulk-like body?  Not working for me.  Let's reserve judgement until the next trailer.

Moving on, here's a character who doesn't think much of his body image.  It's Po the Panda from Kung Fu Panda 2: The Kaboom of Doom who's back with Furious Five to "wok you".  Don't get it?  Watch the trailer.  They will wok you!

I'm sure you've wanted at some point in your life to watch a movie about cowboys or aliens. But in Jon Favreau's new film, Cowboys vs. Aliens you don't have to chose. You get both! And you don't pick Bond over Indy, you get both. Do you see where this is heading? Still no clue what the movie is about, I'm just going to watch it as two-for-one feature sci-fi meets western.



The robots are back but not Megan Fox. Although...nevermind, I'm not going to go there. It's Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon. I grow weary of this title.



Here's yet another Avenger, Thor, and while he may not be as buff as Captain America (no one is!), he sure is angry a lot. And he has a big hammer. You don't want to piss him off.



More Jack Sparrow awesomeness in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, thanks to Johnny Depp. To think an entire franchise rest solely on this one character, without him, there would be no films. Prepare yourself to lots of cheeky one-liners.



This is the one for me. What I was waiting for, a J.J. Abrams film after what seems like forever, Super 8, named after the old cameras.  I swear I got goosebumps when the somewhat familiar music and "From Steven Spielberg" tagline came up. This is totally giving me a sinister E.T. vibe. I cannot wait for this film.

Finally, I saved the best for last. You won't find a more colorful trailer than this, the misadventures of Blu the macau all the way from Brazil. You had me at Rio.

Robots take over Trailers: Real Steel and Transformers: Dark of Moon

This seems like a movie idea from a kid in school and yet here it is a Hollywood film. Real Steel is the story of down on his luck ex-boxer who loses his way of living when robots, yes, ROBOTS!, take over the boxing ring. With the help of his son, Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) builds the next big fighting machine that's going to win it all. The movie also stars Evangeline Lilly (Lost) and Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker).




Which takes us to the other robot story which in its third installment, Transformers: Dark of Moon new teaser trailer shows the origin story to the ridiculous title. No sign of Shia yet but the whole cast minus Megan Fox (who is now replaced by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley) will be back. The movie releases in July 2011 around the world and if you did not know this previously, this is a Michael Bay film. Lot of stuff is going to get blown up.

News Roundup: The Great Gatsby and Worst Titles Ever

• The Star Wars prequels can rest easy.  They no longer hold the title for Worst Movie Name.  No, that honor now goes to Transformers: Dark of the Moon.  What?  Yes, seriously, you couldn't make this up.  And never fear Transformers 3, you won't hold the title long, the Piranha sequel is coming up next, Piranha 3DD.  What is this world coming to?
• He is.  He isn't.  No, not anymore.  But wait, yes, he is.  I'm going to be known as the blogger who cried wolf again.  Peter Jackson is on again to direct The Hobbit.  I think I'm going to hold off on any new Hobbit information unless it comes neatly tied up in a press release.
• James Cameron is talking about some Avatar sequels.  Promising, but knowing the way he works be prepared for a long wait til you see the world of Pandora again.
• Baz Luhrmann recently held a workshop for The Great Gatsby in New York.  Who were the actors who read the parts?  Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Rebecca Hall as Jay, Nick and Daisy respectively.  This casting may not stick until filming but I like it already and besides when is the last time the two friends Leo and Tobey have acted together? Not since the 90s, I think.  
• Finally some hope, albeit a tiny sliver, for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  Because who doesn't want to see Elizabeth Bennett kick some zombie ass?