Blog Posts by Will Perkins

Christopher Polk/Getty Images

When they're not taking down websites with denial of service attacks or leaking sensitive political information, Anonymous -- the sprawling collective of hackers, script kiddies, Internet freedom fighters, and general online mischief makers -- can often be found trying to stick it to the entertainment industry over various issues usually involving pirating or copyright.

As part of this effort, Anonymous and another group of hackers calling themselves M3du5a recently hacked their way into the servers of the German movie production company Constantin Film (producers of the “The Vow,” as well as the “Fantastic Four” and “Resident Evil” movies) and made public a large number of internal company documents. While most of the leaked information was already public knowledge and available online, one document in particular seemed to confirm a long standing rumour regarding the upcoming big screen adaptation of E. L. James’ erotic novel “Fifty Shades of Grey.” The illicitly obtained file has former “Harry Potter” star Emma Watson attached to star as protagonist Anastasia Steele in the film.

Warner Bros.

The creators of the cult TV series "Veronica Mars" proved yesterday that a rabid fan base and an effectively marketed Kickstarter campaign can combine in incredible ways. The Veronica Mars Movie Project -- a planned big screen spin-off of the short-lived but well liked Rob Thomas-created television series starring Kristen Bell -- broke crowdfunding records this week, reaching its stated goal of $2 million within hours of going live and becoming the largest film project to be funded in Kickstarter history. As of noon Thursday morning, the project has raised nearly $2.7 million and still has 29 days to add to that impressive total.

So what does this mean for other fan favourite TV shows that were cancelled before their time? Or, for that matter, movies begging for sequels they never got? Could the tremendous success of the “Veronica Mars” project pave the way for a crowdfunded movie revival of Joss Whedon’s “Firefly” or put Mulder and Scully back in fan-financed action for another “X-Files” case?

The answer is: maybe.

Val Kilmer and Warwick Davis in "Willow" (1988).

OK, children of '80s and '90s, it's time to feel old: Director Ron Howard's 1988 swashbuckling fantasy adventure film "Willow" turns 25 this year.

For those of you unfamiliar with the film or in need of a refresher, "Willow" is a classic sword and sorcery tale about Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis), a small man with a big task. With the help of a disgraced warrior Madmartigan (Val Kilmer), Willow must protect a baby destined to overthrow the evil Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) and her army.

Written and produced by George Lucas (back when such a distinction was still a selling point for a movie), the film borrowed heavily from J. R. R. Tolkien's "Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings" books, as well as Lucas's own "Star Wars" trilogy. An unwilling hero thrust into an adventure, a dashing rogue and a beautiful princess, a prophecy, and an evil force threatening the land -- "Willow" was classic fairy tale stuff!

"Dick Tracy"

If a movie matte painter has done their job well, you shouldn't even notice their work.

That’s probably the reason why legendary matte painters like Peter Ellenshaw, Albert Whitlock, Syd Dutton, and Robert Stromberg aren’t exactly household names – despite the special effects artists playing integral roles in some of the most famous movies of all time.

What is matte painting, you ask? Well, before the advent of computer-created visual effects, filmmakers often employed a combination of complex in-camera trickery and paintings -- yes, paintings -- to extend sets, create impossible to shoot angles, or realize fantastical landscapes that wouldn't otherwise be possible on a budget. A movie scene would be shot with area of the film left unexposed, and later a matte artist would literally paint in the rest of the shot by hand. This seamless special effects technique has been in use since pretty much the dawn of cinema, and can be spotted in thousands of films made before the mid-1990s -- if you know what to look for.

Ben Affleck in 'Argo' (Photo: Warner Bros.)

Just when you thought the controversy surrounding Ben Affleck's Oscar-winning thriller "Argo" had begun to die down, along comes the nation of Iran to add yet another wacky -- and possibly legal -- dimension to the whole affair.

According to numerous Iranian news outlets, the government of Iran is apparently determined to sue Hollywood over the what it argues is an "unrealistic portrayal" of the country in Affleck's Best Picture winner. Iran and its 1979 Islamic revolution form the backdrop for "Argo," which depicts a fictionalized version of the daring rescue of six American diplomats from Tehran.

"The Matrix"

Remember 1999? It was a more innocent and naive time; Honey Boo Boo had yet to be born, the Harlem Shake was still more than a decade away, and movies like "The Matrix" were tops at the box office.

Yes, in 1999, as far as most movie fans were concerned, “The Matrix” was just a fantastic one-off action/sci-fi film from the directors of the low-budget crime thriller "Bound." "The Matrix" was a breakout film for the Wachowskis ("Cloud Atlas"), and transformed star Keanu Reeves into an even bigger star. The science fiction actioner worked very well as a standalone movie, and, despite the open ended final shot, wasn't really begging for a followup. Of course, sequels did come in 2003, and they were mostly terrible. "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions" pretty much sullied the good reputation of the first movie, erasing whatever good memories moviegoers had from it in the process.

20th Century Fox

Sorry, "Simpsons" fans, but the Oscar-nominated short "The Longest Daycare" may be the closest you'll get to a new big screen adventure from America's favourite animated family any time soon.

At least, that's according to "Simspons" creator Matt Groening and series producer/director David Silverman, two people in charge of the future of the franchise. The pair gave a talk at UCLA's annual entertainment symposium over the weekend and revealed that a sequel to "The Simpsons Movie" in probably not in the cards for a few reasons.

"It took us four years [to make] and it killed us," Groening said of the 2007 comedy film, adding that the feature length movie "stole" animators and other resources from the also in production TV show.

Robert Carlyle, Ewan McGregor, and Jonny Lee Miller in "Trainspotting" (1996).

Just because English filmmaker Danny Boyle has an Oscar on his mantelpiece (a Best Director award for 2010’s “Slumdog Millionaire), that doesn’t mean he’s forgotten his roots as one of Brit cinema’s most boundary-pushing directors.

Before films like “Slumdog” and “28 Days Later,” Boyle was best known for the darkly comic drug caper “Trainspotting.” Based on author Irvine Welsh’s novel of the same name, the 1996 film chronicling the lives of a rag-tag gang of Scottish heroin addicts put Boyle -- as well as stars Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle, and Kelly Macdonald -- on the Hollywood map. Now, almost 20 years after the film first hit theatres, Boyle sounds like he’s ready to return to the scuzzy side of the U.K. for “Porno,” the long talked about adaptation of Welsh’s sequel to “Trainspotting.”