FlickDirect’s Director’s Seat

The much anticipated Spike Scream Awards wasn’t all about horror this year. If the star studded line up is a reflection of a new trend, then Fantasy Action and Sci Fi are the new horror.

So say the Spike Scream Awards, so say we all.

Sure, there will always be a place for the well made or large budgeted horror film, but even horror audiences are flocking to Fantasy fair and Sci Fi flicks. It all started with the Xena and Hercules series and has culminated with epics like the Harry Potter and Twilight.

The Spike Scream
Awards Red carpet was studded with stars like Liv Tyler and Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings), Tobey Maguire (Spiderman fantasy), Stan Lee, and SciFi stars like Grace Park, Katee Sackoff, Kate Vernon (all from Battlestar Galactica) and surprise guest William Shatner.

Tobey Maguire  and Stan Lee:

FlickDirect caught up with Kate Vernon who plays Ellen Tigh on Battlestar Galactica. Who told us that she doesn’t consider herself a scream queen, but she does support independent films (even horror films) and loves working on indy projects just as much as the big budget ones.

Spike Awards 2009 Kate Vernon

We also had a word with the charming Grace Park, another Battlestar Galactica Cylon. Grace is one of the few actresses who gets to play multiple characters in the same show, and has many love interests (speaking of  fantasy!) sometimes simultaneously. Although she wouldn’t give away her secrets for keeping it all straight, she did share that she is going to be on the cover of Maxim Magazine just before her handler whisked her off of the carpet, and into the chasms of the Scream Awards proper. Rumor has it that her co-star Tricia Helfer will also share the cover with Grace.

Spike Awards 2009 Grace Park

After searching up and down, we finally found a horror film actor Dileep Roa. With his lack of credits, I want to call him an up and comer – but he’s already there. Dileep seems to have come out of nowhere, and landed roles in two of the biggest horror films of 2009. Drag me to Hell, and Avatar.
Oh, wait, scratch that. Avatar is a Sci Fi film. Sorry about that Mr. Cameron.

Megan  Fox:

“Big Bang  Theory” and “Battlestar  Galactica:”

Taylor Lautner:

Jessica  Alba:

Spike Awards 2009 FlickDirect's Tara Cardinal, Hollywood Liason

It’s August and the Florida heat is so strong that  our developer is begging us for new ideas and asking us  to stay inside and code.  With this invigorated effort by them, FlickDirect, Inc is proud to announce the new FlickDirect/Twitter feature.  Just link your twitter account on your FlickDirect member profile page http://www.flickdirect.com/members/movie-user-profile.aspx (after you log in your account), and any comment you post on FlickDirect is shared with your friends on Twitter.

After watching Public Enemies, which has gotten some favorable reviews, it dawned on me:  Should I let you know what I look for in movies to determine how their “letter” grade – almost like a teacher?  While that sounds kind of childish, I think it will work.

I break down the movies I watch into five different parts:

• Story/script/plot development
• Cinematography
• Acting/chemistry between the actors
• Use of locations/costumes/special effects
• Movie Score

Every now and then a movie may earn extra points, for things like they are good in their genre, or for something special that couldn’t be included in the five categories.

Story/script/plot development:

This accounts for 25% of the movie’s score.  Story is basically overall how the story is crafted, and if you can have an acceptable amount of the suspension of disbelief to fully immerse yourself in the film.  The script deals with the dialogue, and how this relates to the film as a whole.  Inappropriate language that isn’t necessary to advance the story/plot can result in a large reduction of this portion of the score.  Finally, plot development:  How the whole plot comes together, whether subplots are ever resolved, and if the plot as a whole is believable.  Granted, these are reviewed as part of the context of the movie.

Cinematography:

This accounts for 20% of the movie’s score.  While it mostly consists of the obvious – how the movie was shot, cameras/support used (i.e. things like the handheld/mounted to a body technique which seems to be growing in popularity), it can also include the specific angles of the shots used in the cut shown.

Acting/Chemistry between the actors:

This one can sometimes be hard to judge.  While it’s mainly how the actors take the scripts they are given and morph themselves into the role.  Are they believable as that character or are they giving the same performance as last time.  An example of this is Kevin Costner, who seems to always be playing himself no matter the movie, while Johnny Depp seems to meld into the characters he plays.  Additionally, if the leading characters don’t have any chemistry (if applicable), and it’s noticeable, this can hurt their score.  This section accounts for 20% of the movie’s score.

Use of locations/costumes/special effects:

This one is a catchall for the what seems to be the biggest part of many movies now arriving at your local box office.  However, are the locations used appropriate for the movie?  Or are there obvious errors that distract from the movie?  Are the costumes appropriate for the period?  Special effects:  Is it enough?  Are they of good enough quality for the movie, or are they obviously low-budget?  Or perhaps too many special effects for the movie?  This accounts for 20% of the movie’s score.

Movie Score:

This accounts for the last 15% of the overall score.  I’ll admit.  I’m a movie score buff – if given the chance I’d could probably survive having only movie soundtracks to listen to.  A good movie score can take a so-so movie and bump it up, while a so-so score can drag a movie down.

I plan on grading each of these from A-F (whole numbers, A means 4, F is 0), do the percentages, and come up with an average like school.

3.5 to 4 is an A, 2.5 to 3.49 is a B, 1.5 to 2.49 is a C, 0.5 to 1.49 is a D, anything less than 0.5 is an F.

It has been a while since our last update, but things have been move quickly behind the scenes here at FlickDirect.  We have just rolled out one of our many updates for the fall of 2009 – Member Favorites. You can now share your favorite films with other FlickDirect members, by simply clicking the add to favorite button in any movie found in our Movie Showcase (http://www.flickdirect.com/current-movie-showcase.aspx).

Stay tuned in months ahead for more exciting new features that will be heading to FlickDirect.com

And one last bit of news we wanted to share before we go…they said it would never happen, but Walmart just did it..the under $100 Blu-ray player, the Magnavox NB530MGX.

Our staff at FlickDirect has a lot to be thankful for this year — We have had a wonderful year full of exciting updates on the FlickDirect.com website, some great summer films, and a slew of Holiday films just around the corner! (Be sure to check out Marco Chacon’s review of Quantum of Solace and Roger Longenbach ’s review of Twilight)

In the spirit of the giving season FlickDirect Inc, is proud to announce that as of today the latest version of our FlickDirect mobile website is now live. Aside from the ability to read and “Flick” the latest entertainment news, members can now also read the latest movie, DVD, and Blu-ray reviews.

To get started simply visit the FlickDirect mobile website on your mobile device at www.flickdirect.com/iphone.

Also, don’t forget to visit the main FlickDirect.com website to see all the latest movie news, reviews, and information.

Until next time…Remember to just “Flick It!”

Get the latest movie news on the go with the all new FlickDirect mobile version 1.5! With a brand new interface that allows you to log in and vote for stories popularity directly from you phone, the community is transformed to be interactive and dynamic. Waiting for a new movie to begin? Be entertained and engrossed in the movie community by reading all the latest movie gossip and news waiting for you in your pocket 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The stories are instantly updated as they are submitted by the community from the main site located www.flickdirect.com . The future of movies is now , on your phone, brought to you by FlickDirect! So how would I get to the new FlickDirect Mobile version 1.5? It’s simple, just visit FlickDirect.com from your mobile device and you will automatically be redirected there.

Happy 4th of July from FlickDirect!

After you enjoy your backyard bbq and fireworks this 4th of July, the cool air conditioning of the movie theater beckons you to bask in the flicker of the silver screen, surrounded by friends and family enjoying a new summer film.

Not sure what to watch? FlickDirect is proud to introduce feature length trailers for nearly every movie in our extensive movie showcase! Simply click on “Movies” from the navigation menu then click on the poster of the film you are interested in. A new tab “Trailers/Clips” will lead you to a trailer, or maybe even a behind the scenes look at the latest, and even past movies! All your favorite trailers, all in one place, free to enjoy unlimited viewings!

Remember, without you FlickDirect would not be where it is today. So keep flicking, commenting, and now enjoy trailers of your favorite upcoming and past movies.

Patriotically,

FlickDirect