Thanks to SuperHero Hype, I've found a new interview with Hugo Weaving. The article does focus in on Weaving's role as V, although there isn't too much that hasn't already been said elsewhere. Some interesting tidbits:

Weaving said that playing the character in mask, "is a technical exercise, and then it became something slightly different so that was pretty interesting. Still I think we were still trying to go through a performance and that was very important because ultimately I realised, well the performance did start to bring the character to life, and initially I was thinking much more in terms of the outward effect and, well if I do this or if I do that. I mean the mask is still like that or that or if I do certain things and punctuate certain words with certain movements, then that will animate it. And it did to a point and then the more I did it, the more I forgot about those tiny little movements and the move the performance started doing those things for me."

Weaving also states he'll be doing the press junket for the movie come February, so it won't be long before we get innundated with articles and info about the movie.

The Hollywood Reporter has posted a review of the upcoming movie, and it's a glowing one. You can read it for yourself here.

My thanks to Natalieportman.com and Derek for pointing this one out.

I've just read that Adrian Biddle, the Director Of Photography on V for Vendetta died last week.

Biddle was an accomplished director of photography, first working on the classic Alien, as well as movies like The Princess Bride, Thelma and Louise (which earned him the Academy Award for Best Cinematographer in 1992), and The World is Not Enough.

You can see his full list of credits here. Ain't It Cool News has a well-written obituary for him written by "Moriarty", which you can read here.

Vendetta is the last film Riddle worked on before his death.

Just two quick bits:

The trailers are now hosted at www.vforvendetta.com.

The site has also launched the first of six 'VR" tours of some of the movie's sets. You'll need Flash Player 7 to view them. The first up is part of Gordon Deitrich's home. (Future sets include Larkhill, Victoria Station, and the Shadow Gallery, among others.)

View the new V for Vendetta Trailer.

initial thoughts:

They got rid of the cheesy "Vendetta" logo graphics for something much nicer.

More shots of V this time. And he looks pretty believeable.

Natalie Portman's accent . . . not so much.

Bullet-time knives are still ridiculous.

Love the dominos.

Elsewhere:

The movie site implies they'll have the trailer available soon, and also promising " VR tour of the sets."

And was anyone else having trouble viewing the "large" version of the trailer?

Some of you have written to note that I missed the boat when the movie website revealed some new desktop wallpaperV for Vendetta. So it pleases me that I'm right on time with the latest update.

Alas, thewre's nothing more to say about it at the moment, but either check the movie website on thursday, or here, for more info.

Being somewhat out of the cultural loop, I have no idea that this year marked the seventh annual Butt-Numb-A-Thon, which, as far as I can tell, is basically the night a bunch of people involved with Aint-it-Cool News get together for a massive movie marathon.

Now, the very fact that this is called, officially, "Butt-Numb-A-Thon" is alone reason for me to consider all these reviews suspect. But, hey, what review isn't without its own bias?

So let's thank Ain't It Cool News for supplying, not one, not two, not even three reviews, but seven different people reviewing (among many other films) V for Vendetta. Almost every review comments on the "terrorism" angle and presents their theories on what the general reaction to a movie about a terrorist will be. That every review extolls the stories ideas about freedom and resistence shows that, if nothing else, the movie was seen by its target audience.

So enjoy some biased, cherry-picked snippets of each review, then make with the clicky to read the full details:

Maria Von Trapp: This movie was so close to home, it was TRULY scary. [. . .] As you watch this movie, you will undoubtedly find the connections to things in the movie and current events frighteningly obvious. A fabulous movie, a treasure visually and in its language. [. . .] I can't think of any reason why "it should be forgot."

Miya: Pleasantly surprised by this one, wasn't sure quite what to expect. [ . . .] Natalie Portman does well with the Evey role, but Stephen Fry was the standout for me as Gordon Dietrich.

Saffy: The film picks you up and shakes you it rattles your brain and scores your soul with the indelible words: STAND UP. (note that Saffy's reviews are halfway down the page, after a lengthy description of, ahem, BNAT 7.

Doc Falken: This will be the most talked about film in 2006. Or, it will disappear in three weeks after release and be dismissed as a cult film for academics to dissect in the future.

Nordling: For Alan Moore fans, let me say this: you're going to be happy. The film is extraordinarily close, in spirit and in text, to his graphic novel. [. . .] I heard that Alan Moore was upset at this adaptation of his work, and really, he has no right to be. I think of all the films based on his comics, this one is the absolute closest possible.

Victor Laszlo: I think it's fair to whip out the phrase TOUR-DE-FORCE for this complete and utter masterpiece [. . .] James McTeigue's direction is deft and graceful, [. . . the Wachowski's] wrote a damn fine script that skillfully balanced character and plot, while feeling totally complete as a film.

Massawyrm: This film is extraordinarily powerful. It is a genre fisted gutpunch that uses Science Fiction in the way it was originally intended – as an allegory for high-minded ideals. And while it is busy dissecting terrorism, it is also careful to illustrate the importance of simply showing up over the power of violence.