• Terminator Sweepstakes Winners Announced!

  Published on: June 18, 2009

  

  Hey MovieSetters, it’s time once again to announce the winners for one of our famed MovieSet Sweepstakes! This time is was Terminator Salvation, which was sure to be a goodie!

  This time our Grand Prize Winner was Jared F. of Cleveland Ohio!

  All I can say is WOW, what a fantastic prize and I’m amazed to have won. My older brother has an Xbox but I didn’t have one of my own, until now.  We’re both big Terminator fans and we’re planning on going to the movie next week, as a matter of fact. Many times the sequel to a great movie is a disappointment, but I’ve found that every Terminator film is just as enjoyable to watch as the original.  I also really like the MovieSet site; you’ve got all the movie news I need; everything is easy to find and has the most up-to-date information on what’s upcoming and what’s going on behind the curtain. Thank you, you’ve made my weekend, this is a prize I really wanted
  to win.

  You’re Welcome Jared. You’re Welcome.

  But he wasn’t alone! We had 6 other winners take home some awesome stuff, here’s a list of what they won!

  One Grand Prize Pack Including:
  - Xbox 360 Console
  - Terminator Salvation Game for Xbox 360
  - Terminator Salvation Teaser Poster
  - Terminator Head Paperweight

  
  Three 1st Place Prize Packs Including:
  - Each of the 3 Terminator movies on DVD (Terminator, T2 & T3)
  - Terminator Salvation: The Official Movie Souvenir Magazine
  - HEXBUG® Micro Robotic Creatures
  - Terminator Head Key Chain
  - Terminator Salvation Cintage Hats with Silver Stitch

  
  Three 2nd Place Prize Packs Including:
  - Terminator Salvation: The Movie Companion book (Hardcover edition)
  -"Join the Resistance" Men's T-Shirt
  -"Join the Resistance" Women's Tank Top
  - Terminator Salvation Stainless Steel Water Bottle- Terminator Salvation 3GB USB Dog Tag
  
  

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• The MovieSet Ultimate Review of 'Terminator Salvation'

  Published on: May 21, 2009

  By Jeff Otto

  Synopsis: After three movies centered around the prevention of Judgment Day and the preservation of future Resistance leader John Connor, Salvation picks up after the robots have taken over. The Resistance is just forming and Connor (Bale) hasn't yet come to power, although his followers are growing. In the parallel story line, convicted murderer Marcus Wright (Worthington) wakes up smack dab in the middle of the post-apocalyptic battle between humans and machines. He meets up with a young Kyle Reese (Yelchin) and his silent youngster companion, Star (Berry). They try to connect with Connor's Resistance while avoiding constant attacks from Skynet surveillance. As society's future darkens day-by-day, Connor inspires new followers with a nightly radio broadcast telling survivors that, if they are listening to this and alive, they are now members of the Resistance.

  Stars: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Moon Bloodgood, Bryce Dallas Howard, Common, Jadagrace Berry

  Written by: John Brancato and Michael Ferris

  Directed by: McG

  Distributed by: Warner Bros.

  Opening on: May 21st on 3,500 +

  EXPECTATIONS

  What I'd Seen - I'd probably seen more than I wanted to on this one, from visiting the Albuquerque, New Mexico set last summer and viewing a good 10-plus minutes of footage to the revealing TV spots and trailers, which in my opinion gave away far too  many of the key surprises. Still, the majority of what I'd scene centered around director McG's trademark bombastic action work. Whether the film could rise to the level of the classic first two films, or exist as mere popcorn entertainment like the third film, remained to be seen.

  What I'd Heard - Early response was mixed, although I tried hard to avoid as much hearsay as possible. What I did know was that McG was directing and, while I believe he's a competent director and even a decent, well-meaning guy, he's yet to prove his skills as a director are in the same ballpark as James Cameron.

  What I Wanted - The other films in the series (particularly one and two) were classics because they rose above standard Sci-fi and action material. They possessed a heart, strong characterization and even a lofty message about our future as we put more and more of our reliance in technology over humanity. Judgment Day has been the oft-discussed, seldom seen mystery of the series since the first film in 1984. Bringing this to life and doing it the justice fans have been imagining in their heads for two-plus decades is no small task. Realistically, I just wanted to see McG respect the series and deliver a competent, smart movie and a good story about more than just robots and explosions. 

  EXPERIENCE

  What Turned Me On - The largely unknown Worthington gives the film's best performance, no small task considering he's going up against Christian Bale in the co-lead. But Worthington feels more invested in the part than Bale does. Likewise, Anton Yelchin, who fans met with some level of skepticism upon news of his casting, throws himself into the key role and delivers a heartfelt performance. The result is no small feat for the young actor, rising to a challenge and doing justice in a role first made famous by Michael Biehn so many years ago.

  What Turned Me Off - As much as I kept wanting to believe that McG was capable of something more than, say, Michael Bay, Salvation proves that's simply all this director knows when it comes to action material. Loud explosions, big guns and camera-rattling fight sequences... Sadly, Salvation has little more to offer. The big irony is that, in a movie about robots taking over and humanity's struggle to preserve the human race, McG's take on the material is robotic at best. He goes through the motions trying to mimic what Cameron did with previous entries, but he simply doesn't possess the chops to pull it off so eloquently.

  Salvation is a massive disappointment for fans of the series. Part three was no classic, but at least it was more fun. Salvation is lifeless and forgettable, the worst entry in the series so far. Cameron, any chance you might want to follow Avatar with putting the Terminator franchise back on track? Pretty please?

  AFTERMATH

  I Left Thinking - When I first heard McG had signed on to director Salvation, this was pretty much the film I expected based on his previous material. In the time since, I let my anticipation sway me a bit and tried my best to keep an open mind. I wish my initial reaction hadn't been proved exactly right last night.

  I Left Saying - Perhaps Christian Bale was screaming and yelling on set that day from greater frustrations than someone getting in his eye line. Oft-considered one of the greatest actors of his generation, Bale's performance is shockingly lifeless. Also, his choice to use his gruff Batman voice is a very odd one and I could never get past the distraction. Bale's connection with the project gave me the greatest hopes for Salvation, but it seems he's finally decided to sell out and cash in on his fame rather than maintain the level of strong material that has always been the trademark of his career.

  Expiry Date - If this film weren't part of the storied Terminator franchise, it would expire by the following weekend like so many disposable blockbusters in the summer movie season. But as a part of the franchise mythology, much like the Star Wars prequels, fans will try to dissect it, possibly even in multiple viewings, before they finally come to the harsh realization that it is yet another letdown in a series that should have ended with the 1991 classic T2.

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• "Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series" Explodes online as the first long form dramatic Machinima Production

  Published on: May 19, 2009

  Burbank, Calif., May 19, 2009 – Halcyon Games, a division of The Halcyon Company along with Warner Premiere and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution today announced the first full length Machinima series titled “Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series.”  Produced in association with McG, director of “Terminator Salvation,” and Machinima Inc., this six part series utilizes real time computer animation generated from the “Terminator Salvation” video game and is set against an original story written by Andy Shapiro and directed by Tor Helmstein.  Fans follow “Blair Williams” (voiced by Moon Bloodgood) on an action-packed journey that reveals the genesis of Blair William's involvement with John Connor's resistance unit two and a half years before the movie begins. 

  “Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series” is now available on iTunes (http://tinyurl.com/TerminatorMachinimaOniTunes), Amazon Video on Demand (http://tinyurl.com/TerminatorMachinimaOnAmazonVOD), Xbox Live and the Sony PlayStation Network.  The cost per episode is $2.99 for HD and $1.99 for SD (where available).  Fans can also sign up for a season pass and automatically receive future episodes every week for $14.99 in HD or $9.99 in SD (where available).     

  "From a film maker's point of view, Machinima provides an incredibly dynamic way to explore live worlds and tell compelling new stories,” said McG.  “The process allows the writer and director to think cinematically, while at the same time executing certain things that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive or even impossible on a set."

  Machinima, a word derived from the combination of machine and cinema, describes computer-generated animation created in real-time by leveraging video game engines and environments.  Revolutionizing the digital content creation process, Machinima.com is pioneering a cost effective way to produce high quality video content for multi-platform distribution. “Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series” was entirely produced by leveraging Machinima techniques utilizing assets from “Terminator Salvation: the Videogame.”
  

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