Aksarben Cinema: CinemaCon 2012 Pt. 2

These last two days of CinemaCon were the highlights of the week for me. The presentations were great, the award show was fun, and I was allowed to take some pictures!

In between all of the presentations, we were able to walk the trade show floor and check out anything new that has become available in the last year. The funny thing was we already had the new things they were all promoting! There were huge lines for the Coke Freestyle machines- which we already have, lots of talk around the new Wonka Candy machine- which we already have, and adding a bar concept- which we already have. The new things we did look at were some new concession items including hummus, which we are now carrying. We are trying out Sabra hummus in original, roasted red pepper, and roasted garlic flavors.

Available at the concessions counter now!

On Wednesday, we were able to attend a luncheon called "Frankly Speaking: The Ever-Changing World of Filmmaking Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond" with guest speakers Ang Lee & Martin Scorsese. This was the chance of a lifetime to hear the two of them talk about their experiences with filmmaking and how technology is changing it for them in a positive way. Ang Lee was very honest in saying filmmaking was hard, and he is always learning. Scorsese said he wants to make all of his films in 3D now after he experienced such great results with Hugo. He said the future of 3D isn't gimmick with hands coming out at you, rather is it going to be able to show the depth of a characters face and costumes. It will bring you into the story in a different way. Lee was talking about his breakthrough technology while filming Life of Pi, which is currently in production. He is the first director to use an underwater 3D camera, and from what we saw, it is unreal. I could go on and on about this discussion they had, but I have a lot more to share. If you are interested in more of what they said, check out this article: http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00049987.html.

That evening we had a presentation from Sony Pictures to attend. This kicked off with Men in Black 3, which opens May 25th. The footage we saw looked fun, and just what you would want in the third installment. We were able to see an extended scene of That's My Boy starring Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg. This is Adam Sandler's first rated- R film in a while, and it was funny! My favorite from Sony was The Amazing Spider Man in 3D. This 3D looks amazing, and will definitely want to see it! Total Recall, starring Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, and Jessica Biel, looks like an awesome action thriller which opens on August 3rd. Hope Springs starring Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, and Steve Carell, a drama opening on August 10th, will take you with Meryl and Tommy as they are looking to light a spark in their relationship. With Steve Carell, you know it is going to be fun journey. Sparkle is a musical drama opening on August 17th. It is starring Jordin Sparks and Whitney Houston, and is sure to please music fans. Some other titles they showed us were Premium Rush opening August 24th, Resident Evil: Retribution 3D opening September 14th, Hotel Transylvania 3D opening September 28th, Looper opening September 28th, Here Comes the Boom opening October 12th, and Skyfall, the newest installment in the James Bond franchise, will open November 9th.

We finally come to our last day, which kept us very busy! We started with the Twentieth Century Fox presentation. They started with an extended scene from Prometheus, starring Charlize Theron. I'm not the biggest sci-fi person, but this was intriguing! I am excited to see what this one brings on June 8th. Next, we saw a trailer for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Tim Burton who brings a "fresh and visceral voice to the bloodthirsty lore of the vampire, imagining Lincoln as history's greatest hunter of the undead." Ice Age: Continental Drift, opening on July 13th, is their family film of the summer, and the squirrel still makes you laugh. The extended trailer we saw for Neighborhood Watch looks so funny! It is starring Jonah Hill, Ben Stiller, and Vince Vaughn. We will be watching them take on the aliens who are trying to overrun their suburban neighborhood on July 27th. Their summer is winding up with Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, the third installment in the popular series based off the successful book series, on August 3rd. Their other great ones coming soon are Won't Back Down, Taken 2, Of Men and Mavericks, Parental Guidance, and Life of Pi. They gave us a sneak peak for next year including A Good Day to Die Hard, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters, Leafmen, and The Wolverine.

Our last studio presentation was from Universal Pictures, and they have some great films coming! Battleship kicks off their summer this Friday, and they brought out Brooklyn Decker to talk about being a part of the film. Next, they brought out Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron to show us a bit from Snow White and the Huntsman. On July 6th, the new Oliver Stone film Savages will be here. They brought out Blake Lively, John Travolta, and Salma Hayek to talk about working together, which was awesome seeing all of them! Next, was a bit on the movie Ted. They brought out Mila Kunis and Seth McFarlane, and he had people rolling. The older gentleman in front of us was just shaking his head, but he was definitely the minority. I am dying to see more of Ted because I have a weakness for talking animals in movies :) Other titles they have this year are the newest Bourne film starring Jeremy Renner opening August 3rd, 47 Ronin starring Keanu Reeves opening November 21st, Les Miserables starring Russel Crowe and Anne Hathaway opening on December 14th, and opening on December 21st Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd will bring back Debbie and Pete from Knocked up in This is 40. A sneak peak for the future includes Oblivion, Identity Thief, Fast & Furious 6, R.I.P.D., Despicable Me 2, and Jurassic Park 3D!