The Visual Effects Society (VES) has announced the nominees for the 7th Annual VES Awards ceremony recognizing outstanding visual effects in over a dozen categories of film, animation, television, commercials and video games. 2008’s “Iron Man” led the nominations with five, for scenes and work including the film’s armor HUD and the fan favorite “suit up” scene.
Jeffrey A. Okun, the Chair of the Visual Effects Awards Committee said, “Because visual effects continue to grow in complexity and intensity, touching every aspect of the entertainment industry, we are proud to announce the nominees and their work, which have been deemed by the judges as the best of the best. [...]

In addition to the news of Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke not directing its second installment, New Moon, it has been reported that Summit Entertainment plans on shooting New Moon and Eclipse, the Twilight saga’s third novel, one after another using the same director, who is unknown as of now.
In the “Eclipse Auditions” report posted on Alan Baltes’ Acting Auditions blog, he confirms this information, continuing to say, “Filming begins on New Moon in March 2009, and will continue right through completion of Eclipse.”
Even though Hardwicke has confirmed that she will not to take the directing role once again, Twilight’s screenwriter, Melissa Rosenberg, has been asked to pen the script [...]

The American Medical Association and the Motion Picture Association of America are going head-to-head over the depiction of smoking in movies aimed toward children.
Reported by USA Today shows that a study conducted by the AMA Alliance, a volunteer branch of the AMA, states that 57-percent of movies rated G, PG, or PG-13 have featured characters smoking since 2002. The PG-13 films are said to have a shocking 67-percent featuring smoking.
The AMA Alliance accused the MPAA of failing to make good on its promise to include smoking in assessing a film’s suitability for showing to children.
Seth Oster, a spokesman for the MPAA, stepped up and said that its [...]

Variety is reporting that Warner Bros. has acquired the rights to “Ninja Scroll”, the Japanese action anime, and are planning a live-action big-screen adaptation. The studio has tapped Alex Tse to write the script.
Tse’s previously worked on “Watchmen”, as well as the upcoming adaptation of the Ray Bradbury novel “The Illustrated Man” and “Frankie Machine”, which is based on Don Winslow’s book “The Winter of Frankie Machine”. The movie will be produced by Leonardo DiCaprio’s company Appian Way alongside Mad House, and will be produced by Jennifer Davisson Killoran and Mike Ireland. The original anime, lauded for its depictions of ninja and classic Japanese folklore, was also [...]

New York, New York - October 15, 2008 - Where do they go from here? Danity Kane’s future is still up in the air, Day26 is pursuing their dreams and Donnie Klang is working his way to the top, so what is next? MTV is extending the drama into 2009 with bonus episodes of the hit reality series “Making The Band.” The saga will continue with the remaining members of Danity Kane and their label mates Day26 and Donnie Klang as they all embark on the next phases of their Bad Boy careers.
The extended season will pick-up where the last one left off…Following all the drama [...]

Dimension’s “The Road”, a dark post-apocalyptic tale starring Viggo Mortensen, has had its release date moved back from the end of November (which a limited release originally set November 14th and wider release November 26th) to hopefully a December 10th opening.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Dimension executives are set to meet with the film’s producers to talk about whether or not the film, still in post-production, can make a cutoff date for a 2008 premier or if they should cut their losses and aim for a 2009 release date instead.
Based on a book by Cormac McCarthy, the author of “No Country For Old Men”, “The Road” [...]

Watch a brand new clip from “Making the Band 4″ season 3 finale airing on MTV Tuesday, October 14th at 9pm ET/PT. Here’s some more details from MTV.
Los Angeles, CA - October 6, 2008 - Is Danity Kane still a group? Does Diddy actually ax a DK member? These burning questions are revealed in a live “Making the Band 4″ Special on Tuesday, October 14th at 9pm ET/PT. Hosted by MTV News correspondent Sway from the Times Square studio, Diddy will give viewers the low down on what really happened when he confronts his platinum recording artists about dissention in the group. Viewers will [...]

Watch a brand new clip from “Making The Band 4″ season three which airs Tuesdays at 9PM ET only on MTV.
Episode Synopsis: After many rehearsals, the big Making the Band Tour is about to begin. The first stop is in New York City. Danity Kane, the self-proclaimed “experienced” group shockingly struggles during their final dress rehearsal. Diddy is concerned and warns that they should be “scared to death”. Day 26 also struggles as they’re out of their element on the Hammerstein Ballroom’s grand stage.
Stay tuned to Toxic Shock TV for the latest “Making the Band” Season 3 videos and news.

The producers sent us some details about the upcoming French horror sitcom “Terror Project 6″ put together by 6 young filmmakers living in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Quebec (CA). Here’s some details about the films, plus a couple of really cool zombie stills.

FILMS:
Lorie contre les Bacteries – (English Title : Lorie the Bacteria Slayer)
Directed and Written by Francois Simard (Bagman : Profession Meurtrier).
Guests starring: Lloyd Kaufman and Anouk Whissell (Bagman: Profession Meurtrier)
Plot: A young french canadian couple quarrels violently in their lounge while outside, proliferates a strange flu epidemic which eat from the inside the patients. Nothing was goriest since Street Trash & Brain Dead (Dead Alive).
Specialite du Chef [...]

New Horizons let us know that filming has begun on Roger Corman’s lated production “Cyclops”, a big budget Sci-Fi Channel original film. According to his official Myspace site, the $10 million dollar feature tells the story of a Cyclops, discovered in ancient Rome, who is captured by arrogant soldier Marcus (Stapleton) and brought back to the Emperor Tiberius (Roberts). Soon, however, the corrupt Emperor forces Marcus to fight in the gladiatorial arena against the Cyclops with the help of a beautiful barbarian (Farrell).
After Marcus learns what it means to be a hero and the Cyclops’ essential humanity is revealed, together they end the emperor’s tyranny.
The movie is [...]