Another tour through interesting articles Rob Fuller finds on the Web.  First since we featured The Matrix in the 40 Days of Screenplays challenge, how about this: Color Themes in “The Matrix”.  Other than black, the three predominate colors in the movie appear to be Green, Blue, Red.  Here’s the Green analysis:

The green color theme starts at the very beginning of the movie, and it is the most often used theme. The green-on-black theme may be a reference to old monochrome computer monitors, which often displayed green on a black background. The original Compaq Portable computer was like this, for example.

Green theme notes:

• The initial WB logo is a special green and black version, as is the Village Roadshow logo.
• The start and end titles are green lettering on a black background.
• The glyphs that appear on the monitors in the Nebuchadnezzar are green on black.
• Neo’s alarm clock shows green letters on a black background.
• When Morpheus is in the Matrix, he wears a green necktie. When he is in the real world, he doesn’t.
• The wallpaper in the Oracle’s apartment is green, and all the walls in that building are painted green.
• The Oracle’s outfit is green.
• “All of the Exit signs in Neo’s city are green, and not the typical red color.” — quoted from Jen’s Matrix Site [Note: reader sickbobby@yahoo.com explains that this is the standard color scheme in Sydney, where the movie was filmed, so this is not an "intentional" use of green.]
• Green seems to be associated with the Matrix. Most scenes in the Matrix use a green theme.
• Agent Smith’s file folder that he brings into the interrogation room is green.
• Neo’s telephone is green. [submitted by MuddDrgn@aol.com]
• Green may also stand for danger.   The entire opening action
  sequence, where Trinity comes very close to being very dead, is very
  green, as is the interrogation scene, where Neo is bugged.  [submitted by "teasmoke" kmfahey@snet.net]
• During the scene with Thomas on the phone with Morpheus in the Metacortex building, it is the same green of the Xerox machine, like the Matrix is a photocopy of reality. [submitted by jlbowers@blueriver.net ]

The green and black opening title sequence of The Matrix seems influenced by another movie, Ghost in the Shell. In Ghost in the Shell, a Japanese animated movie, green digits on a black background rapidly change and then resolve into the title credit text. (The Matrix does it better, I think, but it is clearly the same idea.)

Also, at the beginning of Ghost in the Shell, green wireframe-like graphics on a black background are used to represent cyberspace.

The first computer displays seen in the beginning of the movie Blade Runner (at the police station) also use these “retro” green-on-black displays.

If you consider this a case of overthink, think again.  Directors and production designers definitely ponder color choices in a major way.  For more, check this out: The Subconscious Psychology of Color.

Next one of the movies that caused a stir at the recent Comic-Con is Battle: Los Angeles (“a platoon of Marines fighting alien invaders on the street of Los Angeles”).  SciFiCool.com provides three new images from the movie.  Here’s one featuring star Michelle Rodriguez:

For the others, go here.

Slice.com has come up with this list: Top 10 Movies About Inner City Kids Learning To Dance:

Growing up in the ghetto sucks: it’s gritty, tough, and no one wants you to succeed. Especially if you want to do something stupid like learn to dance. These films all have one thing in common: they show us all how crappy the ghetto is AND entertain us with the art of dance. The most important thing, we learn, is to never, ever give up on your dreams. This, of course, all leads to THE BIG COMPETITION, which, of course, the main characters always rock. What’s not to love? 

Here are three of them:

10. Honey (2003)
This movie about a young lady trying to make it big in the hip hop dance world features all my favourite things: Jessica Alba, Shawn Desman, hot dance moves, and a villainous music video director who won’t take no for an answer. Not to mention cute Lil’ Romeo, who comes complete with cute little dance moves. Filmed in Toronto, you can try to pick out your favourite T dot landmarks. Disclaimer: this movie really isn’t very good.

9. Take the Lead (2006)
The important part of Take the Lead, filmed in Toronto (note the role of Degrassi star Lauren Collins), is the crossover to the inner-city-kids-being-motivated-by-inspirational-teacher to really learn that they can get out of the ghetto if they just try really hard angle. In the tradition of Lean on Me and Dangerous Minds, Antonio Bandaras takes a group of wayward teens that everyone else has given up on and teaches them to dance. Will they make it to THE BIG COMPETITION despite disapproving single moms on welfare and rich kids with an agenda? Here’s hoping.

8. You Got Served (2004)
Speaking of THE BIG COMPETITION—the battle, the showcase, the Streets, the cotillion, whatever—the point is that, somehow, somewhere, the star of the movie always ends up surprising and dazzling the audience with his or her fresh new moves to the point where no one can deny that, despite all our differences—race, religion, gang colours—we’re all just part of the human race. The dancing human race. We’ve got to come together and, well, serve.

Finally Rob found this cool feature on Nerve.com: Ten Classic Movies Drawn as Little Golden Books:

Josh Cooley is a story artist at Pixar who creates images for children’s films by day. By night, he brings his artistic talent to less G-rated fare, illustrating grown-up classics in the style of Little Golden Books. The results, while not pieces you’d hang in your kid’s nursery, are pretty priceless.

Here’s one of them – and thanks, Rob, for the links!