- We’ve talked about Britain’s black-unitard-wearing “movie ninjas” who stop cell-phone users mid movie and the Alamo Drafthouse’s zero-tolerance policy to boot digital abusers who light up during a film. But if that’s the stick, here comes the carrot: a new app called CineMode. Basically, theaters synch with the device so users get a flashing message prompting them to launch the app before the film starts. If they make it through the whole film without digital diddling or touch-screen touching, they get rewards in the form of digital coupons. Be it a clenched fist or extended hand, however we can get the vainglorious pimples on the posterior of society who use smartphones during a movie to stop it, I’m cool with it.
- Look, we could do a weekly update on Star Wars Episode VII rumors right up until the durn thing hits theaters, but this one is too salty and controversial not to share: a “source” from “inside Lucasfilm” has “inside information” that “studio executives” are considering resurrecting Darth Vader. Yes, despite being electrocuted, removing his life-support armor and dying before his body was burned and his ghost appeared, he may not be all the way dead. Obviously, treat this as a very suspect rumor that, if true, proves George Lucas didn’t have a monopoly on bad Star Wars ideas.
- Morgan Spurlock, the gifted documentarian behind Super Size Me and a couple pretty great reality shows, is taking a breather from doing things that have any social value whatsoever. News broke this week that he will be directing a concert film for the band One Direction. Whether this can live up to such films that will be integral to the future of humanity like that one Katy Perry movie or that one Justin Bieber movie remains to be seen, but we should probably make more room in the package we plan on sending to alien visitors to our world. (prodavinci.com)
Cutting Room provides breaking local and national movie news … complete with added sarcasm. Send any relevant information to film@thereader.com. Check out Ryan on Movieha!, a weekly half-hour movie podcast (movieha.libsyn.com/rss), catch him on the radio on CD 105.9 (cd1059.com) on Fridays at around 7:30 a.m. and on KVNO 90.7 (KVNO.org) at 8:30 a.m. on Fridays and follow him on Twitter (twitter.com/thereaderfilm).