First word associated with Hollywood director, producer and writer, James Cameron is timeless sci-fi cult movies. He has given some of the best sci-fi movies like ‘The Terminator’ and ‘Aliens’.

Once again, the feted craftsman is making his latest sci-fi offering ‘Avatar’ which is all set to release on 18th December 2009. Made on a staggering budget of 237 million US dollars, ‘Avatar’ is Cameron’s biggest project post ‘Titanic’ and a mega-venture that promises to be extraordinary. The flick boasts of state of the art 3D technology backed by 3D Fusion Camera System. ‘Avatar’ is a typical 3D flick which is an amalgamation of computer generated images along with motion capturing technique which later on can be added with special effects.

‘Avatar’ is the story of a utopian world where a former marine Jake Sully gets paralyzed in action during a war on Earth. He eventually gets chosen for the Avatar program, a technology that promises to him to Pandora – the land of Na’vi on moon that is inhabited by a race of evolutionary advanced blue humanoids and infuses you with a life steering capability. The Na’vi is a demure tribe living in their pristine territory until humans invade their space thereby leading the former to wage a hellish war against mankind. Rest of the film traces an apocalyptic epic battle between Na’vi and Earthlings.

On the whole, 18th December 2009 is the most anticipated date for the sci-fi freaks. After ‘The Terminator’, ‘Terminator 2’, ‘Rambo: First Blood Part II’, ‘Aliens’ and ‘Titanic’, the prodigy is once again back with his phenomenal movie ‘Avatar’.

To be a talent agent at William Morris once meant you had made it big in Hollywood. 

Working his way up the ladder, one television agent spent four years as an assistant at the beck and call of a heavyweight dealmaker, before eventually becoming a “tenpercenter” himself, with entrée to Tinseltown’s back lots and backrooms and most exclusive restaurants.

On Monday, that all changed. In one of the most public displays of the recession’s grip on Hollywood, that agent along with 119 other employees were laid off at William and Morris, one of Hollywood’s oldest and most storied talent agencies, which for a century has represented some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry.

For months now, Hollywood’s talent agents — those notoriously cutthroat dealmakers famous for negotiating on behalf of the famous and renowned for 10 percent commissions — have felt the pinch of the economic recession.

Each of Hollywood’s major agencies has recently cut back, reining in spending on conspicuous corporate cars, expansive expense accounts, pricey power lunches and armies of attentive assistants.

“I was in a different industry before I became an agent and I was lured in by the glamour. Agents were my celebrities and then you come in and you see it and soon enough it becomes your job. But I think agents are in denial. They still think they’re masters of the universe and it’s not reality anymore,” said the recently laid off television agent, who would not speak for attribution in fear that would hurt his chances of finding another job.

IIFA Awards Ceremony came to a historic end on Saturday evening, as ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ bagging ten trophies. It was named the ‘Best Film’ and fetched Hrithik Roshan the ‘Best Actor’ award, while Ashutosh Gowariker got the ‘Best Director’ award. Priyanka Chopra was named ‘Best Actress’ for beautiful performance in ‘Fashion’.

The award for the ‘Best Female in a Supporting Role’ went to Kangna Ranaut for her performance in ‘Fashion’. Arjun Rampal walked away with the award for ‘Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role’ for ‘Rock On!!’

Abhishek Bachchan got the ‘Best Comic Actor’ for his performance in ‘Dostana’. The award for ‘Best Actor in a Negative Role’ went to Akshaye Khanna for ‘Race’. Neeraj Pandey was given IIFA ‘Best Story’ award for ‘A Wednesday’.

A R Rahman was named ‘Best Music Director’ for his soulful compositions in ‘Jodhaa Akbar’. The ‘Best Male Playback Singer’ award went to Javed Ali for ‘Jashn-e-Bahaara’ in ‘Jodhaa Akbar’, while Shreya Ghoshal was named the ‘Best Female Playback Singer’ for ‘Teri ore’ in ‘Singh is Kinng’. Javed Akhtar won the ‘Best Lyricist’ award for the song ‘Jashn-e-Bahaara’ for ‘Jodhaa Akbar’.

Director-turned actor Farhan Akhtar got the ‘Best Male Debutant of the Year’ award for ‘Rock On!!,’ while Asin Thottumkal got ‘Best Female Debut Award’ for action thriller ‘Ghajini’.

Veteran Rajesh Khanna was given the ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was honoured with a special award for ‘An Outstanding Achievement in International Cinema.’
Lagaan’ was declared the ‘Best Movie of the Decade’. Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai were respectively declared the ‘Male and Female Actors of the Decade’, Rakesh Roshan was named ‘Director of the Decade’ and double Oscar-winning AR Rahman was honoured with the ‘Composer of the Decade’ award.

The Technical awards Winners at IIFA are as follows:-
Best Costume Design: Neeta Lulla (Jodhaa Akbar)
Best Editing: Ballu Saluja (Jodhaa Akbar)
Best Art Direction: Nitin Chandrakant Desai (Jodhaa Akbar)
Best Make-Up: Madhav Kadam (Jodhaa Akbar)
Best Sound Recording: Resul Pokkutty (Ghajini).
Best Cinematography: Jason West (Rock On!!)
Best Choreography: Farah Khan (‘Desi girl’- Dostana)

At the start of day two of the 62nd Annual Cannes Film Festival, the Chinese film ‘Spring Fever’ was given a premiere at the red carpet. Bollywood celebs like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, and others walked the red carpet for the premiere.

Another movie in particular was the upcoming film ‘Kites’. In an attempt to pursue the global audience, actor Hrithik Roshan unveiled the first look of his much hyped film ‘Kites’ amid fanfare at the Cannes Film Festival. The teaser trailer and some key art posters of the film were released before the global media by Hrithik in the presence of the cast and crew of the film at the festival’s market. Actors Hrithik Roshan and Barbara Mori came to the ‘Kites’ photocall to represent the film at the Cannes. Hrithik Roshan and Barbara Mori also took some solo shots for the film.

During the premiere of the film ‘Up’, Bollywood couple Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (who is a juror this year) and Abhishek Bachchan came to the premiere party. ‘Up’ became the first animated film to appear at the Cannes Film Festival and also as its opener. More…

Progess on the planned Wall Street sequel this week with news that Oliver Stone will return to direct and Shia LaBeouf is in talks to star alongside Michael Douglas who will return from the original. Douglas, who won an Oscar for his role as Gordon Gekko in the original, revealed the project was initially titled Money Never Sleeps until Oliver Stone, who directed Wall Street in 1987, came on board and changed it to Wall Street 2

The movie, being written by Allan Loeb, will depict current events including the economic meltdown which has resulted from ongoing greed and corruption. LaBeouf would play a young Wall Street trader. Douglas will return as Gordon Gekko, the role that won him an Oscar when the original was released in 1987.

There are several Bollywood Music that is been copied from the west but the trend seems to have reached a full stop. Warner Brothers has issued a legal notice against Bollywood produced Vipul Shah.
The rumours are that Vipul Shah is making a film,and he has neither seeked for Warner Brother’s Permission nor got in touch with Warner Brothers. When the Warner Brothers came to know the detils they decided to take strict action. More…

In what has to be one of the most memorable monologues in modern cinema today. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was a film that portrayed the theme that in the end we are who we are, and at anytime we can embrace that one self. The following is a monologue by Brad Pitt’s character in the film: More…

Spike Jonze long awaited adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s story comes to fruition in this live action film, where Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world–a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler.