You learn something new every day!

In his documentary An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore made the decision to not use actual footage of collapsing ice shelves in Antartica, but instead to use special-effects shots created for the movie The Day After Tomorrow:

Al Gore’s “traveling global warming show,” the award-winning documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” includes a long flyover shot of majestic Antarctic ice shelves. But this shot was first seen in the 2004 blockbuster “The Day After Tomorrow.” Sculpted from Styrofoam and later scanned into a computer, the ice shelf “flyover” looks real.

Karen Goulekas, the special effects supervisor for “The Day After Tomorrow” said the shot is a digital image. She was glad Al Gore used it in the documentary since “It is one hell of a shot.” Both movies use the shot to convincingly portray global warming, but it is left to the audience to decide if this created image can both entertain and educate us about our changing planet.

Wait, what was that again?  Styrofoam?

Well, it’s fake but accurate, you might say. “Just because Big Al manipulated my emotions with spectacular Hollywood fakery doesn’t mean we’re not ALL GONNA DIE FROM GLOBAL WARMING!!!” If you really believe that, there’s no point in arguing with you. But you’ll have to forgive me for laughing at the look on your face when you find out what the effects guys used to make all those “glaciers”:

Sculpted from Styrofoam and later scanned into a computer, the ice shelf “flyover” looks real.

That’s right, Styrofoam! You know, the evil, evil stuff that’s being banned all over the place because it’s destroying the environment. Wonder what the studio did with it when they were done with their dumb movie? Five hundred years from now, will the last few survivors of the human race stumble upon those beautifully sculpted glaciers, completely intact, in some forgotten landfill?

Uhm…mmmmkay.  I ain’t sayin’, I’m just sayin’.

hattip Deceiver

Valkyrie Still, or OSA meeting? You decide.

Tom Cruise has been quiet lately, a little too quiet for a guy with a movie to release.

Cruise’s WWII film, Valkyrie, has been delayed once more - this news broke almost two weeks ago. The media cited MGM excuses related to the film not wanting to compete with other major film releases. Here’s the details from Huffington Post:

Tom Cruise’s World War II thriller “Valkyrie” has pushed back its release date to 2009, the second postponement for a production that has endured its share of headaches.

The MGM release has been moved from October 3 to February 13, coinciding with the U.S. Presidents Day holiday weekend. Last December, it was pulled from its original July 4 holiday weekend berth where it would have competed with the Angelina Jolie thriller “Wanted.”

“When an opening became available for President’s Day Weekend, we seized the opportunity,” said MGM distribution president Clark Woods, referring to Universal’s recent decision to pull “The Wolf Man” out of that slot and into April 3.

“Valkyrie” is the true story of a German officer, played by Cruise, who tried to assassinate Hitler. The German government initially banned the production from shooting on location at the Berlin site where the plot was hatched and the conspirators executed. It later changed its mind after months of national debate that focused in part on Cruise’s Scientology beliefs.

This is not the only scandal that has plagued this film, Yahoo News has more background to this doomed project:

The German government initially banned the production from shooting on location at the Berlin site where the plot was hatched and the conspirators executed. It later changed its mind after months of national debate that focused in part on Cruise’s Scientology beliefs.

Some of the footage shot at the site was later damaged during processing, requiring re-shoots. Last August, 10 extras were injured when they fell off the back of a truck during shooting in Berlin.

The movie is being produced by MGM’s United Artists banner, which Cruise runs with business partner Paula Wagner. UA’s debut release under the new regime, the Cruise vehicle “Lions for Lambs,” bombed at the box office last November.

Tom Cruise, like the Church of Scientology he shills for, can’t catch a break. While the mainstream media continues to tip-toe and pussy-foot around the “real” story, those of us who’ve followed the internet movement of anti-Scientology sentiment fronted by Anonymous realize Valkyrie is poised to be the staging ground of massive failure. The film itself is not the issue (although it looks pretty tepid), but rather the studio execs (likely pressured by the CoS) do not want to create the tremendous opportunity for Anonymous to stage world-wide headline making press. Nothing like chants at a red carpet event to cause an uproar — or worse — at movie theaters around the world. The mind boggles at the possibilities.

There’s intel in the pipeline something big is going to blow for the Church of Scientology. While I can’t confirm these reports, suffice it to say, CoS infiltration into Hollywood’s darkest corners have lost their grip. Those willing to protect the CoS interests and their “celeb” stable have grown weary and with all all the pressure of Anonymous and the Old Guard of anti-CoS leaders, the public is starting to get wind that something is rotten in the land of LaLa.

I predict big-time players in Hollywood who have a beef with the CoS will follow their conscience and refuse to “play the game” with David Miscavige and “blow the lid” off of the CoS.

This is critical mass time Anonymous, your strategy, your diligence and your courage to go up against an organization which is run more like an international crime syndicate, than a religious group, has come to fruition. Glosslip predicts Valkyrie will never be released as they keep waiting and waiting for Anonymous to go away.

Silly cult, tricks are for kids.

Tech problems plagued the exciting premiere for Ian Halperin’s new documentary, “His Highness Hollywood,” including the live radio show I did for Blog Talk Radio on Glosslip Radio.

Fortunately, I videoed the interview and so the parts that were cut off during the radio show were captured live. I will be posting a review of the premiere, which includes appearances by Andrew Morton, a tampered with projector (dun.dun.DUN), Blogcritics Theatre Editor Jon Sobel and many great moments.

Second part is on it’s way. Stay tuned for full review tomorrow.

Update - Second part up now.

Also, BIG PROPS to k for not only carrying the site and doing the Shaun Daily show all by her sick self while I out of town, but she did so all while suffering from the flu AND she also saved the day at the last minute and helped me out with a technical issue.

Glosslip would NOT exist without k, so my eternal gratitude is offered for her excellence.

There’s a new monster movie coming out in January by Lost creator JJ Abrams called Cloverfield. Using viral marketing and annoying secretiveness they have generated an absurd amount of interest. Except for me, I don’t really care. The best Godzilla movies were made long ago and no amount of cgi is going to change that. The film is set in New York and mimics the 9/11 terrorist attacks New Yorkers endured, including insulting scenes of the Statue of Liberty being raped by a big skyscraper sized gila monster. I am against raping large historic figures, even those given to us by those cheese-eating Francophiles.

Anyways, many a rumor has been generated about what kind of monster will eat NY in this new movie, as Abrams has hinted his inspiration came after visiting Japan and seeing a Godzilla-type creature with his son. Who knows if any of that is true. But, after doing some extensive and exhaustive investigation I have discovered what I think might be the monster. There is very little warning I can give you for what you are about to witness and I am sorry for those with weak hearts who may be stricken by sudden heart failure, but rest assured, this is only a photo and there is no real danger from the monster known as Brooke Hogan.

Sadly, just moments after this photo was taken, the innocent human standing next to Brooke was eaten. Remember, Hollywood is a dangerous place.

It just goes to show that, for once, pretty pretty shiny shiny loses out to style and substance.  Yessssssssss!

Britney Spears, who’s latest CD “Blackout” is on sale at major retailers and music stores everywhere, has been beaten to #1 in the Billboard Top 100 by the Eagles, who’s current double CD “Long Road Out Of Eden” is available only at Wal-Mart.  Yes, that’s right…by confining their CD sales exclusively to one retailer and their website, the Eagles, who’s CD features their first original work in twenty-eight years, have whupped up on Brit, who’s album has to settle for #2 on both the Billboard charts and Nielson Soundscan.

The change comes about because Billboard has decided to allow sales numbers from music sold only at one retailer instead of mass market.  Wal-Mart shared their data with Billboard, and a star is born:

Early SoundScan numbers have the Eagles taking the top perch on The Billboard 200 with 711,000 copies sold, with most sales moved by Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores. For now, the only other U.S. outlets carrying “Eden” are walmart.com, where both physical copies and downloads are sold, and the Eagles’ own Web site.

“Eden” became available at the mass-market chain Oct. 30. Aside from two compilations, this is the Eagles’ first album since the mostly live “Hell Freezes Over,” which led The Billboard 200 for two weeks in 1994.

Britney Spears’ new Jive album, “Blackout,” which would have been No. 1 had the Eagles’ data not been reported, will open at No. 2 with first-week sales of 290,000 copies.

All that work Britney’s music team put into producing, mixing, tweaking, and dragging her Frapp behind into the studio, all the time and money thrown at it, all the electronic twiddling and computerized machinations, were not enough to secure the top spot for Brit.  Turns out a bunch of old guys, who’s band has been around since before Brit was born, who have arguably put out some of the best music ever heard, and who (gasp) actually play their own instruments and sing without the aid of computers, beat her…and beat her by a considerable margin.  By my calculations, they sold 421,000 more copies in the first week…and that’s nothing to sneeze at.

I can tell you why…the Eagles may not dance and writhe around (and let’s face it…who wants to see Don Henley or Glenn Frey flailing about in a spangly bra and hot pants?), but they sing live in concert, they play their own instruments, they have mad songwriting skills, and about a gazillion multi-platinum albums (Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 went platinum twenty-nine times!).  Genuine musicality and unparallelled singing wins over a circus freak show…whodathunkit?

Welcome to the Hotel TheyStillGotItfornia!

If you haven’t seen Helen Mirren’s award-winning performance as Queen Elizabeth II in the movie, The Queen, go rent it now and watch it.  Right now.  Go ahead.  I’ll wait.

The five Corgis in the film, named Poppy, Anna, Alice, Oliver, and Megan (I believe only four were shown at a time), were awarded Top Dog honors at London’s inaugural Top Dog Film Festival:

“I know one should avoid acting with animals and children,” Mirren said. “But these little chaps were a pleasure to work with and deserve all the plaudits for their fine performances.”

The five Corgis, who were the monarch’s pets in the movie, were rewarded Sunday with a gong at London’s inaugural Fido Film Awards, which are part of the British Film Institute’s London Film Festival.

“The inaugural Fidos are a first in more ways than one: dogs have truly come in from the cold,” said Toby Rose, the event’s organizer. “Dogs take up considerable minutes of film time, but they never get a nod. Nodding to dogs is the way to go.”

The canine quintet’s success at the Fidos takes the tally of awards won by the movie to 59. In real life, Queen Elizabeth II has owned more than 30 Corgis during her 55-year reign.

The little dogs steal a couple of scenes in this movie with their unabashed cuteness.  But where are the awards for the Labs who were featured in hunting/stalking scenes at Balmoral?  Well, perhaps they were just stock.

Really, you should see this movie.  I rented this and Elizabeth I (also featuring Mirren) one weekend and had a royal good time.  Elizabeth I was a bit factually off, but an enjoyable movie nonetheless.  And besides, The Queen introduced me to the adorableness that is Michael Sheen.

Rush and Malloy are reporting that Jake Gyllenhaal is slated to reprise the role of  DC comic superhero Captain Marvel of “Shazam!” fame, from the popular 70’s kid’s show of the same name.  This Captain Marvel is not to be confused with Marvel Comics “Captain Marvel.”  Due to copyright and trademark issues, DC Comics can’t market under the Captain Marvel name, so Shazam and Captain Marvel have become synonmous in the DC world.

If true, Gyllenhaal will be reprising the role of Captain Marvel for New Line, whose alter-ego is radio reporter Billy Batson. Billy, a young man, would obtain his super powers from the wizard Shazam, which would transform him through a bolt of lightening into an adult with the powers of six legendary figures. How cool is that?!

The article states that New Line is ready to spend $200 million on the film and director Peter Segal hopes to quickly “nab” Gyllenhaal before Sam Raimi does for the continued adventures of Spider-Man.  There is speculation that Maguire is ready to retire his role in the Spider-Man movies, despite his oddly huge popularity playing the webbed hero.  Maybe he’s just sick of looking at the Kikster.  He wouldn’t be alone.

Come to think of it, didn’t Jake once date Kirsten Dunst?  Very interesting.  Moving on…
But wait, there’s more…