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SPEED RACER at the wheel of the powerful Mach 5
© 2001 Speed Racer Entertainment, LLC

Wachowskis' New Technology for SPEED RACER

By: Jarrod Sarafin, News Editor
Date: Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Source: Frosty at Collider.com

Since it's a slow news morning and I've gotten 9 emails about this story(apparently, a few people would definitely like to talk about it), I'll update you on the latest development of the Wachowski Brothers' SPEED RACER. This is more in the style of "tech news" then anything else but it is interesting if you're a fan of new movie technology. You remember how the Wachowskis pushed the "bullet-time" effect with their first Matrix film? Well, they're working on something else in terms of their upcoming adaptation of "Speed" and his Mach 5. There have rumors of cutting age technology being used on this flick for a while but Frosty at Collider opened a dialogue at a press conference of Susan Sarandon's IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH. Ironically, Collider asked the first question but actor Tommy Lee Jones kept asking more questions.

To read the press conference with actress Susan Sarandon (who's playing the mother of Speed), click here.

SPEED RACER hits theaters everywhere on May 9, 2008.

Thanks to Mania scooper, Monkeyfoot, who beat the other 9 emails in sending the word along...

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Comments/Responses

metalwater • Aug 28, 2007, 02:58am •

Interesting!!! For years I have wanted to do similar things but have had zero budget to pull it off!!! Still, what I want to do won't take 300 hundred people in one room, and another 300 in another. Give me 1 good editor, and a special effects guy...and I can pull it off.

I know the Wachowski siblings are experimenting and really going full volume on this as I'm sure they are doing alot of moving camera shots, using motion control cameras, a huge cast, a plethora of extras, a myriad of virtual locations and rather large stunt teams to accomplish that end...hence the extra effort, time and money.

popa • Aug 28, 2007, 06:09am •

If this is the kind of story that would only appear on a slow news day, I can only hope for more slow news days.
I find this story somewhat surprising. At a time when many studios are going digital and anxious to make their digital processes look like film, here we have, apparently, an attempt to make film look like cartoon digital. Isn’t this the kind of effect that would be much easier in digital? Another thing I can’t quite wrap my brain around is, although the theme of corruption sounds very adult, they’re going for a G rating. No doubt this will all make sense when we see the final product.

metalwater • Aug 28, 2007, 06:33am •

Film will be an element of this, but the movie will be shot mostly in digital, and then transfered to film for distribution, but even before that happens, the Wachowskis are using some film elements to process within the mix of digital images. I have my suspicions that they are thinking along the same lines as me, but just in case they aren't, I'm not going to elaborate on what exactly I think they are doing.

That said, if I am correct, this movie will be as important to filmmaking as Star Wars and The Matrix. This will probably be one of the biggest films of all time...and will be talked about for generations to come. This is the Wachowski's answer to Sin City, but with 5 times the budget...and will be just as unique, visually...but this will be on steroids and with ultra vibrant colors.

Whiskeymovie • Aug 28, 2007, 08:12am •

I think these guys really know how to push the envelope of technology. I mean with the first Matrix and the Bullet Time, that every one ripped off.....although, I do remember the movie "Lost In Space" and "Balde" as well as those Jeans commericals, Levi or Guess or something using it also with the Swing Dancing. And that was all before the Matrix came out. I am not saying it wasn't awesome in the movie and such, but come on, they didn't invent it. Also, they did an amazing job in the sequals with the Freeway chase and Burly Brawl. I was amazed when i saw that. Esp. the scene where the guy jumps on the hood of the car and it crushed and flipped over. Wow. I have total faith trhat these guys will deliver an amazing action piece of Eye Candy. Can't wait.

conman • Aug 28, 2007, 08:34am •

They didn't invent it but they definitely perfected it. I remember seeing it in a Coolio video when it was considered new technology and it was very slow and moved rather roughly. It wasn't until the Matrix that I actually saw it as it should have been.

monkeyfoot • Aug 28, 2007, 09:14am •

Count on the W Bros. to be on the cutting edge. I can't quite visualize what this technique is supposed to look like, but this cartoon like effect they are working on may already be in use somewhere like bullet time was , though the use of it in Speed Racer will probably make it quite popular. It will start showing up in commercials, TV shows,and other movies.
Storywise, Speed Racer won't be unusual , like the Matrix movies (I liked them all. Yeah, I said it!), but techno -wise it could be another jump.

fft5305 • Aug 28, 2007, 11:03am •

Sounds interesting. This is actually good news for me. I like everything I've seen for this so far. I'm looking forward to this movie. I doubt they will be able make it a G movie given the car violence that will necessarily occur. I can see a fairly soft PG, though.

almostunbiased • Aug 28, 2007, 02:43pm •

For some crazy reason I'm looking forward to this movie. I wouldn't say excited, but I'm interested. They do do cool stuff.

metalwater • Aug 28, 2007, 04:20pm •

I know the Wachowskis ripped off Bullet Time from Blade, just as they ripped-off wire-fu from Blade and hundreds of Chinese Kung-Fu films that Blade ripped-off wire-fu from. The difference, the people behind Blade gave credit to their references but the Wachowskis, save for wire-fu and anime...have not given credit to their inspirations, like Dark City and Blade. Still, all mavericks use other existing technologies, to create new technologies, or to improve on the old. That is just a fact.

My own ideas are based on pre-existing technologies, that without their existence, as well as other people's past efforts, I could not even conceptualize the visions that I have, and would like to accomplish--so it's a round robin of interdependency which we all live by!!!

Merin • Aug 28, 2007, 09:34pm •

Unfortunately, I'm looking forward to this too.

I'm more of an anti-fan of Speed Racer than anything, but . . .

Scott Porter is in it, and I have to support the guy's career. As such I'll be there opening day, hoping for the same miracle that Transformers didn't deliver.

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