My CPA has been following the comic book scene since he was just a kid.  He knows all about these superheros or X-Men.  I haven’t a clue. But, I do like James McAvoy, and I recognize him in the picture and January Jones. Who do you recognize?

Another interesting bit of news is The LA Times has a wonderful interview with the director Matthew Vaughn with Bryan Singer chiming in too.  The pictures in the LA Times posting are even more awesome.

Sex and movies are hand and glove when it comes to the ratings of the Motion Picture Assn. of America. In a recent article in the LA Times, it was stated that “whether a film gets an NC-17, R or PG-13 can be a mystifying process.”

The most recent situation is the NC-17 given to Blue Valentine because of what the Weinstein Co. studio said is a steamy sex scene involving actors Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams.

However, another new film, Black Swan includes the same act between two women, played by Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, and received a less-restrictive R rating.

Ratings have been an issue through movie history and the LA Times offers a photo gallery of the most prominent movies with controversial ratings.  You can click here to see the article and photos.

LA Times blog has an exclusive article discussing with the directors of Thor and Captain Avenger about their movies becoming 3D.  Kenneth Branagh, who is directing Thor, shared his thoughts about the 3D process:

“We came to feel that in our case 3-D could be the very good friend of story and character for a different kind of experience. It’s another draft of the story that can reveal itself in a different way. I had a healthy degree of skepticism up front … I’ve become somebody extremely excited about working with possibilities of doing it this way.”

The LA Times blog is worth reading because Joe Johnston, director of Captain Avenger, says a few interesting words about the 3D option in filmmaking as well.

I just hope there are no missteps along the way.

Science fiction as literary work is not my favorite pastime, although I favor the science fiction movies.

Michael Crichton passed away this year, leaving a legacy of 13 of his 15 books turning into movies.  I believe I saw all of them, even when I was very young my mother, a devoted science fiction reader, went to the movie theater with me in tow to see The Andromeda Strain and Westworld.  

If you know anything about making movies, 13 out of 15 books into movies is quite a score.  Los Angeles Times produced a wonderful eleven-photo-gallery memorial of Crichton’s work in Hollywood by Rachel Abramowitz. It’s worth taking a look by clicking on his picture.