With Rise of the Guardians opening this week, I recently got to see the finished film at DreamWorks Animation and it’s really well done.  Not only is the animation great to look at, it’s got a strong story that’s character driven and it doesn’t rely on stupid jokes.  In addition, unlike most superhero films that spend half the time introducing characters by explaining their origin and showing off their powers, what’s fantastic about Rise of the Guardians is we join almost everyone in the middle of the story.  If you’re not familiar with the story, it  revolves around the rebellious Jack Frost (Chris Pine) teaming up with other mythical figures North aka Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), E. Aster Bunnyman aka Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), Tooth aka The Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), and the Sandman to battle the evil Pitch (Jude Law).  Here’s my video blog review and all our previous coverage.

To help promote the film, last week I got on the phone with Rise of the Guardians director Peter Ramsey.  We talked about how they didn’t tell a typical origin story, the tone, how many times he re-storyboard the film and whether there were any dramatic changes along the way, the test screening process, collaborating with Roger Deakins, other DreamWorks Animation projects like How to Train Your Dragon 2, Kung Fu Panda 3, Trolls (which he said is “kind of partially based on a Terry Pratchett novel”) and more.  In addition, Ramsey got his start as a storyboard artist working for David Fincher on Fight Club and Steven Spielberg on A.I., so we talked about those projects and a few others.  Hit the jump for what he had to say.

We’ve got a ton of stuff to get through in Limited Paper today, including a look at Mondo’s next big gallery show (featuring artwork from Australian duo We Buy Your Kids), FroDesignCo’s series of Mythic Beasts Travel Posters (featuring Limited Paper’s spirit animal, the Chupacabra), Gallery1988’s Rated G (featuring work from Justin White), and—because why the hell not—we also need to provide an update on our latest contest/giveaway while teasing the next one.  Phew.  Bring a bookmark and meet me on the other side of the jump, my fellow poster junkies.

As the director of some of the best films over the past fifteen years (Fight Club, Zodiac, Seven, The Game, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Social Network), David Fincher is considered by many (myself included) to be one of the best directors working in Hollywood.  Unfortunately, while he makes some of the best movies, he rarely grants interviews and is reluctant to talk with the press.   So when I was offered the chance to sit down with him earlier today to talk about his latest masterpiece, The Social Network, I jumped at the chance.

While the interview was scheduled for thirty minutes, we actually ended up talking for almost fifty!  During our lengthy conversation we discussed making The Social Network (which gets released on DVD/Blu-ray January 11th), the way he makes movies, future projects like The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and why he does so many takes.  If you’re a fan of this brilliant director, hit the jump to either read or listen to what he had to say.  I promise, this is one interview you don’t want to miss.

If you’re a fan of mash up trailers, you’re going to want to check out WONKA: Legacy.  That’s because ChiefBrodyRules on YouTube has cut together a trailer that features the visuals of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and the audio of TRON: Legacy Trailer 3.

While some mash up trailers start strong and then sputter out, I think this one is solid throughout.  I also like the way he brought in Johnny Depp towards the end as Klu.  Hit the jump to check it out.  I’ve also posted a bonus mash up of Toy Story and Fight Club.

We’re ten years on from Fight Club. There’s still so much to talk about, but the text has been evaluated, eviscerated and analyzed a great deal over that time. Fight Club was an obsession for me when it came out; I saw it at an early screening and it spoke to me. I got it. And it became the movie I took people to see. I ended up in the theater at least ten times with different sets of friends to enjoy this brilliant black comedy. My review of Fight Club after the jump.

David Fincher’s masterpiece Fight Club got released on Blu-ray today.  And in the spirit of Fight Club, Fincher created a special gag for the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray edition.  Since many of you are going to buy the Blu-ray and experience the gag for yourself, I’m going to post what it is and how it came together after the jump so I don’t ruin the experience.  But for those that want to know about it now, hit the jump:

Talk about Fight Club.  Without people talking about the 1999 film, it would’ve fallen into obscurity instead of being one of the most celebrated films of the last twenty years.  People still talk about it, people still misunderstand it (if you tried to start a real fight club, you’re one of those people), people quote it, and if you live in New York or Los Angeles, you can celebrate the film’s 10^th anniversary and its debut on Blu-ray by seeing it Tuesday at midnight for free.  Space Monkeys of New York, click here.  Space Monkeys of Los Angeles, click here.  And this time, try not to talk about Fight Club because you don’t want other people to get tickets before you do.

Fight Club: 10^th Anniversary Blu-ray Edition hits stores this Tuesday, November 17^th.