Screen Time

Some of the makers of the great 2002 film “City of God,” about two boys growing up in a violent Rio de Janeiro neighborhood, will return in January with a sequel of sorts called “City of Men.“

It looks like the new movie is spun off from the original film and from the acclaimed TV series of the same name, airing on Sundance Channel in the U.S., and is directed by Paolo Morelli, who directed many eps of the series. This could be a great way to start out 2008. Check the high-res trailer here.

Yahoo! Movies has posted 11 amazing-looking clips from Robert Zemeckis‘ upcoming animated “Beowulf,” including this one featuring ol’ Beowulf battling some intense sea creatures.

I wasn’t too interested in this flick when I saw the first few “Beowulf” teasers and trailers that popped up online a few months ago, but now I’m sold. The detail work on the characters’ faces and the bold colors and imaginative designs of the monsters look great. I can’t wait to see them on the big screen, and I’m sure Zemeckis’ effects team will be buying some tuxes for Oscar night come March. (Too bad we don’t have any IMax 3D theaters nearby.)

Some early reviews are hinting that the “Beowulf” writing team of author/graphic novelist Neil Gaiman and screenwriter Roger Avary (Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” collaborator) might take home a few awards for solving the original text’s structural problems.

So, “Beowulf” reportedly delivers cool and artful “performance capture” visuals and a good story? I was expecting “The Polar Express” with swords and bare abs. This one looks like fun.

“Beowulf” opens Friday, Nov. 16
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Photo courtesy Paramount Pictures