Meet the Halo Director

[bapenguin]

Joystiq (http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/09/scrutinize-halo-directors-cv-with-videos/) Googled the internet till their fingers bled and eyeballs fell out to discover everything there was to know about recently announced (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16090) Halo director, Neill Blomkamp. Hit the link to see tons of videos and commercials he's done.

I must say after seeing these he definitley has the style down that Halo needs. Hopefully he can pull off directing a big crew.

[Sazime]

This makes me feel much more at ease with what the guy can do. That first video was just damn cool for being a 6.5 minutes piece.

[Paranoia]

Too bad it ain't James Cameron or Ridley Scott.

[Sazime]

Too bad it ain't James Cameron or Ridley Scott.
Problem is, either one of them would also come with a $20M price tag. Built in budgets like that pose large risks for movies that will probably rely on one large star for marketing attention.

[Manzy]

James Cameron would have been a God-like, but I'll settle with this guy.

[Balthasar]

http://www.chud.com/index.php?type=news&id=7356

[fitbabits]

I have a very good feeling about this movie!

[Roc Ingersol]

He has a gift for working with CGI.
I'm just not seeing anything that's inspiring confidence in his ability to direct action.

[Ernst_Jager]

this guy has to be giddy as a school girl getting the chance to direct such a high profile movie on his first attempt. I think there is some potential in this if they remain faithful to the series thus far.

[Kefkataran]

I don't see why you guys are so excited. The guy obviously has some talent, but thus far he's only EVER done small projects, and he's getting handed a HUGE movie like Halo? His first full-length movie ever? That makes me very nervous.

[Savok]

I don't see why you guys are so excited. The guy obviously has some talent, but thus far he's only EVER done small projects, and he's getting handed a HUGE movie like Halo? His first full-length movie ever? That makes me very nervous.
For christ sake Kef, it's a videogame film based around blowing shit up with cool chanting in the background, the only people who fuck them up are Uwe Boll and kin, people who have no business being near a camera at all.

My gut tells me this is gonna be the best videogame conversion yet.

[Shifteh]

My gut tells me it'll take another 10 years to beat the first Mortal Kombat movie.

[motor]

I was pretty impressed when I saw the first short (yellow), but after finishing out the three or four on the web, they are all very similar. I'm afraid this guy might be a one-trick pony. Now that one trick might meld nicely with what they are hoping the halo movie to be, but if not, I'm a little nervous about his ability to direct in a different style.

Just so everyone is clear, his stle seems to be this artsy/looks like low budget filming but with good subtle computer effects. Tons of handy-cam work to make things feel much more realistic. It fits the shorts really well, but I'm not sure if that is what the halo movie is trying to be. And if this is an indication of the style of the halo movie then I think it it not going to be the kind of summer blockbuster that everyone is imagining.

[Roc Ingersol]

The low quality handi-cam pseudo-doc style is the first thing they need to jettison.

[Kefkataran]

For christ sake Kef, it's a videogame film based around blowing shit up with cool chanting in the background, the only people who fuck them up are Uwe Boll and kin, people who have no business being near a camera at all.

?? The only people who fuck them up are everybody. We've had some average videogame adaptations, but nothing I'd call really "good". Maybe this will be the best video game movie done so far. In fact, I even have said on the podcast that that's my firm hope. But news like this makes me more anxious than it does confident. Seeing everyone in here spinning it positive confuses the hell out of me.

[mikeohara]

at least it's not Uwe Boll.

[Rafer]

The low quality handi-cam pseudo-doc style is the first thing they need to jettison.

That hand held pseudo-doc style of filmmaking worked for stuff like the Bourne films, Saving Private Ryan. Get ready to bring a barf bag, but I assume most people that get motion sickness easily don't play FPSs in the first place. I'd think it would be really interesting if Halo looked like a war documentary.

[F3nyx]

That hand held pseudo-doc style of filmmaking worked for stuff like the Bourne films, Saving Private Ryan. Get ready to bring a barf bag, but I assume most people that get motion sickness easily don't play FPSs in the first place. I'd think it would be really interesting if Halo looked like a war documentary.I wouldn't say it "worked." I couldn't see jack shit in Bourne Supremacy's fight scenes because of that goddamn shaky-cam... it more or less ruined the movie for me. It's a stupid affectation and it needs to DIE.

The only nausea I had was from sheer disgust, not motion-sickness.

[Magnanimous Gnome]

Silent Hill was by far the best videogame to movie adaptation I've seen.

Here's hoping this movie turns out well.


As an aside, I want to shoot the idiot parents who bring their annoying little brats to the coffeeshop and then let them run around yelling and screaming.

[Zeal]

Too bad it ain't James Cameron or Ridley Scott.
Instantly give this man a red name. I have spoken.

[Manzy]

Silent Hill was by far the best videogame to movie adaptation I've seen.

Agreed.


As for the shakey cam, that's the most aggravating thing ever.

[motor]

Instantly give this man a red name. I have spoken.

BanHammer this joker out of EA. I have spoken.

[Balthasar]

?? The only people who fuck them up are everybody. We've had some average videogame adaptations, but nothing I'd call really "good". Maybe this will be the best video game movie done so far. In fact, I even have said on the podcast that that's my firm hope. But news like this makes me more anxious than it does confident. Seeing everyone in here spinning it positive confuses the hell out of me.
This is confusing? Halo=Microsoft=God around here. Of course people think it will be gold. Trust me when I say this enthusiasm is isolated to pockets of the internet not unlike this one.

[J Arcane]

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3152800

I was already intrigued when I found out who the director was, because his shorts are genius in my book.

But from the snippets there it sounds like this guy does in fact "get" Halo, at least on some level.

[LogainAblar]

I think we should all be a little pleased that James Cameron is NOT directing this movie. He's an egotistical ass-hat with two good movies that were followed by nothing but self-indulgent garbage.

Ridley Scott would have been interesting.

[Wasson_]

Buzzt, wrong.

James Cameron is a Sci-Fi / Action visionary.

Jesus, Halo steals enough things from the movie Aliens as it is...the whole black seargent guy character is a complete rip off of the character "Apone" in Aliens. And the flood? forget about it...

[J Arcane]

Wow. That's just.

Wow.

I don't think I ever, as long as I lived on this Earth, expected to see someone call James Cameron a "visionary".

I don't even have a response to that.

[LogainAblar]

Wow. That's just.

Wow.

I don't think I ever, as long as I lived on this Earth, expected to see someone call James Cameron a "visionary".

I don't even have a response to that.

The only response I can think of is a fit of roaring laughter, followed by confusion when I realize the guy is serious, and then more laughter.

[Zeal]

The only response I can think of is a fit of roaring laughter, followed by confusion when I realize the guy is serious, and then more laughter.
The only response I can think of is that you're both fucking idiots. The man has the most successful film of all time, is on the board of NASA and is currently developing a holographic display camera (Fusion System) for the Mars mision, military applications and IMAX theaters. What projects are you currently involved with?

He is a visionary in every sense of the word.

Not to mention he's the most talented director in the world. I rank him above Francis Ford Coppola and even the late, great Stanley Kubrick.

EDIT: Oh and by the way, I hate to add this oh-so-obvious fact in, but people here can be deeply stupid. Bungie has stated many times that HALO was inspired by James Cameron's ALIENS and the film Starship Troopers.

[LogainAblar]

The only response I can think of is that you're both fucking idiots. The man has the most successful film of all time, is on the board of NASA and is currently developing a holographic display camera (Fusion System) for the Mars mision, military applications and IMAX theaters. What projects are you currently involved with?

He is a visionary in every sense of the word.

Not to mention he's the most talented director in the world. I rank him above Francis Ford Coppola and even the late, great Stanley Kubrick.

EDIT: Oh and by the way, I hate to add this oh-so-obvious fact in, but people here can be deeply stupid. Bungie has stated many times that HALO was inspired by James Cameron's ALIENS and the film Starship Troopers.

Figures you'd defend him on the basis of Titanic, but hey, if you're comfortable being a 13-year old girl in a man's body then to each his own.

He's a kid who's finally able to (vicariously) realize his dream; he's not a physicist or a marine biologist despite his pretensions. You give me the fuckloads of money he's made and I'll put it to better use than the pipe dreams he's funding.

Give a man more money than he'll ever know what to do with, and suddenly he's an astronomist.

ALIENS was a good movie, and I don't deny the influence it's had; but it's 20 years later, he's already made his money and a name for himself, and everything he's done since then has been complete dog shit. If he actually did make a HALO movie, I'd half expect Master Chief's armor to be changed from bad-ass cyborg to... a James Cameron suit.

[Kefkataran]

Figures you'd defend him on the basis of Titanic, but hey, if you're comfortable being a 13-year old girl in a man's body then to each his own.

Did he even mention Titanic? Don't be dumb.

[LogainAblar]

Did he even mention Titanic? Don't be dumb.

Really? You sure about that?


The man has the most successful film of all time...

But of course he could have been talking about "Piranha Part Two: The Spawning"; I get the two confused sometimes.

[Zeal]

Really? You sure about that?




But of course he could have been talking about "Piranha Part Two: The Spawning"; I get the two confused sometimes.
Your argument is based on the fact that James Cameron has money. This money was earned through his own talent and hardwork. Your entire argument is therefore baseless.

Do not expect further responses, you stupid motherfucker.

EDIT: And I actually hate going back and revising my posts, but your level of ignorance demands it.

Fact #1: Nasa approached Cameron about using the camera he originally developed for film, not the other way around. They also voted to elect Cameron to their board of mission planning and development.

Fact #2: Sailing and deep sea exploration were hobbies of Cameron's long before film making. I really don't even understand the basis of your argument here. There is no argument.

Fact #3: Pirannah 2 had a budget of like three bucks, further reinforcing the fact that his film career came from nothing. This was also one of his first films.

Fact #4: You're stupid.

[Kefkataran]

But of course he could have been talking about "Piranha Part Two: The Spawning"; I get the two confused sometimes.

Regardless, his whole post obviously wasn't about Titanic, so he obviously wasn't "defending him on the basis of Titanic". The least you can do is talk intelligently when Zeal chooses to do so.

[Zeal]

I don't know why I even responded, to be frank.

I also like how he conveniently forgets to mention the Terminator series, which quite possibly has the most iconic character in cinematic history. Not to mention it's pretty much the most influential science fiction film outside of SW and 2001:ASO.

"I'll be back" is also the most quoted line in film history, and you can look that up in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Look, just give my homeboy Cameron a little respect.

Back on topic:

I wasn't initially impressed with Microsoft's pick for HALO's director, considering HALO is now the biggest videogame franchise in existence. I have, however, decided to retract my original criticisms after watching the director's astonishingly well made short films.

I'll give it a wait and see attitude.

[Balthasar]

Figures you'd defend him on the basis of Titanic, but hey, if you're comfortable being a 13-year old girl in a man's body then to each his own.
I'm not going to defend the assertion that Cameron is the best living director, because I don't agree, however...

He's a kid who's finally able to (vicariously) realize his dream
I'm sorry, this comment is dogshit. Tell me, what director alive does not fall under the category of a guy who lives his dreams/fantasies vicariously through his movies? That you would chastize him for doing so is beyond insane.

You give me the fuckloads of money he's made and I'll put it to better use than the pipe dreams he's funding.
Sounds like we should just blow up Hollywood then, along with this stupid Halo movie.

If he actually did make a HALO movie, I'd half expect Master Chief's armor to be changed from bad-ass cyborg to... a James Cameron suit.
What does that even mean?

[Kefkataran]

I definitely still hope Halo ends up being good, the new director thing just makes me nervous. But fingers crossed.

[Balthasar]

I definitely still hope Halo ends up being good, the new director thing just makes me nervous. But fingers crossed.
Unlikely, regardless of directorial talent. We'll see, but I'd bet money this movie would only seem good to Halo fans and no one else.

[LogainAblar]

Your argument is based on the fact that James Cameron has money. This money was earned through his own talent and hardwork. Your entire argument is therefore baseless.

Do not expect further responses, you stupid motherfucker.

EDIT: And I actually hate going back and revising my posts, but your level of ignorance demands it.

Fact #1: Nasa approached Cameron about using the camera he originally developed for film, not the other way around. They also voted to electCameron to their board of mission planning and development.

Fact #2: Sailing and deep sea exploration were hobbies of Cameron's long before film making. I really don't even understand the basis of your argument here. There is no argument.

Fact #3: Pirannah 2 had a budget of like three bucks, further reinforcing the fact that his film career came from nothing. This was also one of his first films.

Fact #4: You're stupid.

fact 1 response: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20051130/ai_n15909854

Is this outdated info? Cause if it isn't, he isn't on the board anymore. Not that it proves anything if he isn't.

Fact 2 response: I was actually referring to his dream of space exploration. That's where I thought you based your comment on him being a "visionary." Either way, his role seems to be the dramatization of the captured images; I'd put the engineers developing the technology in the category of visionary before I put Cameron there, but maybe that's just me.

Fact 3 response: Guess what? Most careers do come from nothing. As I've said before (and which you conveniently ignored me admitting) he's had a couple decent movies. Good for him for getting where he is, but he's still arrogant and over-rated in my opinion.

Fact 4 response: And yet you wonder why you're so lonely when not flaming people on EA.

Regardless, his whole post obviously wasn't about Titanic, so he obviously wasn't "defending him on the basis of Titanic". The least you can do is talk intelligently when Zeal chooses to do so.

Regardless, he mentioned Titanic and I found that amusing. Of course, the original text that you quoted wasn't my entire post, but those are just details right?

Zeal Talking intelligently? "You stupid motherfucker" is hardly a sign of an inteligent conversation.

I'm sorry, this comment is dogshit. Tell me, what director alive does not fall under the category of a guy who lives his dreams/fantasies vicariously through his movies? That you would chastize him for doing so is beyond insane.

Clearly you missed the point about the "vicarious experience." It wasn't his directing, it was his psuedo-involvement with NASA that I was referring to.

What does that even mean?

Went that far over your head, huh? Don't worry, I missed the mark on that one anyway.

[Kefkataran]

Zeal Talking intelligently? "You stupid motherfucker" is hardly a sign of an inteligent conversation.

Again, you're taking it out of context. But whatever. Stick around EvAv a bit longer. You'll see what I mean.

[Balthasar]

Clearly you missed the point about the "vicarious experience." It wasn't his directing, it was his psuedo-involvement with NASA that I was referring to.
Clearly you have trouble communicating effectively. I'm still waiting to find out why it is a problem that one does things to vicariously live out personal dreams?

Went that far over your head, huh? Don't worry, I missed the mark on that one anyway.
I think if anything went over my head, it was a direct result of you "missing the mark." Snarky fuckers like you don't last very long in arguments with me. Don't make yourself another victim.

[Zeal]

lol please ban this troll. He's intentionally starting meaningless arguments with everyone and their grandmother.

And don't even give me a pot calling the kettle comment. I'll blow this place up.

EDIT: I just stuck in that movie Reign of Fire. I totally forgot Christian Bale was in this and Edward Shearmur did the score. Damn.

[LogainAblar]

lol please ban this troll. He's intentionally starting meaningless arguments with everyone and their grandmother.

And don't even give me a pot calling the kettle comment. I'll blow this place up.

EDIT: I just stuck in that movie Reign of Fire. I totally forgot Christian Bale was in this and Edward Shearmur did the score. Damn.

Right, your calling me a stupid fucker was clearly me starting an argument. There were a myriad of ways you could have expressed your opinion without insulting me, because unless you are James Cameron himself, I didn't insult you before you decided I was such a stupid fucker.

I don't care if such talk is a staple of the site; it nullifies your "argument" the moment you insult the person you're talking to. Not that I expected anything more from you; about half of the posts I've read of yours (and that's being conservative) have involved flaming someone. You come across as an angry little shit, but if you want anyone to ever take you seriously, at the very least expand your vocabulary (or learn to use a thesaurus) so you can call me something other than a (here it comes) "stupid fucker."

And no, "stupid mother fucker" doesn't count.

Clearly you have trouble communicating effectively. I'm still waiting to find out why it is a problem that one does things to vicariously live out personal dreams?

I don't have a problem with that, only the fact that he gets hailed as a genius in one field because of his success in another. Good directing != knowledge in astronomy. If I read somewhere that he has a degree, then I'll recant.

[Balthasar]

I don't have a problem with that, only the fact that he gets hailed as a genius in one field because of his success in another. Good directing != knowledge in astronomy. If I read somewhere that he has a degree, then I'll recant.
I think some people consider Cameron a great director because he's made some pretty great commercial films, including the largest grossing film of all time. That he has other interests and tries to expand his horizons, in the eyes of some moviegoers, make him that much more impressive a talent. That you have an issue with this is still pretty ridiculous, and I would advise you just drop it already.