Trevor Hogg profiles the career of legendary filmmaker George Lucas in the second of a six part feature… read part one here. “After THX 1138 [1971], I wanted to do Flash Gordon and tried to buy the rights to it from King Features, but they wanted a lot of money for it, more than I […]

Trevor Hogg profiles the career of legendary filmmaker George Lucas in the first of a six part feature… “I was as normal as you can get,” stated American filmmaker George Lucas when reflecting upon his childhood. “I wanted a car and hated school. I was a poor student. I lived for summer vacations and got […]

Trevor Hogg reviews Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson… Writing in a breezy and plain manner, Daniel H. Wilson, who obtained a Ph.D. in robotics from Carnegie Mellon, has entered into the realm of science fiction thriller. If Wilson is able to channel his youthful and mischievous enthusiasm into more polished adult yarns he could become […]

Collateral, 2004. Directed by Michael Mann. Starring Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Mark Ruffalo, Jada Pinkett Smith, Javier Bardem, Bruce McGill, Irma P. Hall, Peter Berg and Jason Statham. SYNOPSIS: A Los Angeles cab driver unwittingly becomes the chauffer for a hired assassin. To improve upon the depth and detail of the nighttime images for his […]

Ali, 2001. Directed by Michael Mann. Starring Will Smith, Jon Voight, Jamie Foxx, Mario Van Peebles, Ron Silver, Jeffrey Wright, Jada Pinkett Smith and Mykelti Williamson. SYNOPSIS: The movie depicts a decade in the life of Muhammad Ali, beginning with the legendary athlete’s defeat of Sonny Liston in 1964 and concluding with his 1974 ‘Rumble […]

The Insider, 1999. Directed by Michael Mann. Starring Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, Christopher Plummer, Diane Venora, Roger Bart, Rip Torn, Bruce McGill, Michael Gambon, Gina Gershon, Philip Baker Hall and Paul Perri. SYNOPSIS: The airing of an exclusive 60 Minutes interview with a tobacco industry insider is cancelled because of corporate pressure. Despite the praise […]

The Last of the Mohicans, 1992. Directed by Michael Mann. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Wes Studi, Russell Means, Eric Schweig, Steven Waddington, Pete Postlethwaite, Colm Meaney and Jodhi May. SYNOPSIS: In 1757, North America is the battleground of the colonial powers of Britain and France. Midst the escalating conflict, three trappers from a nearly […]

The Keep, 1983. Written and Directed by Michael Mann. Starring Scott Glenn, Gabriel Byrne, Jürgen Prochnow, Ian McKellen, Alberta Watson, Robert Prosky, Morgan Sheppard, Royston Tickner, Michael Carter and Bruce Payne. SYNOPSIS: A detachment of the German army is sent to guard a mysterious and strategically important Romanian citadel. When they start turning up dead, […]

Thief, 1981. Written and Directed by Michael Mann. Starring James Caan, Tuesday Weld, James Belushi, Dennis Farina, William Petersen and Robert Prosky. SYNOPSIS: A professional safecracker’s plan for going straight spirals out-of-control when he becomes indebted to a crime boss. Leaving behind the prison walls of his Emmy-winning T.V. movie The Jericho Mile, 1981 saw […]

Trevor Hogg chats with visual effects supervisor John ‘DJ’ Des Jardin… “2001: A Space Odyssey was my inspiration in 1968 when I was seven years old; it freaked me out even at such a young age because it seemed so real,” states Warner Bros. Visual Effects Supervisor John “DJ” DesJardin whose fascination with science fiction […]