This topic is realtive Matrix 2 & 3 making.Please look out "(*** Spoilers ***)" in the title. And all of news items are here.

HIS nephews and nieces have been desperately trying to dig out the secrets of the new Matrix movies, but Harry Lennix's lips are sealed.

The Chicago-born actor appears in the two sequels of the sci-fi blockbuster as Commander Lock, but has been sworn to silence about what happens to Keanu Reeves and Co next.

"We've have to sign contracts," he explains, "and we can't say anything about it.

"All I can really say is that I don't think people will be disappointed. If we film a crowd scene with lots of extras we even change the line of dialogue if it gives away an important plot point."

The Matrix is Harry's first big action sci-fi movie and follows acclaim in films like Titus with Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange.

"The special effects are so painstaking and take a lot of time and it's a very different way of working for me," says Harry. "It's really not like anything I've done before."

The award-winning actor began filming early this year and heads to Australia next year to shoot Matrix 3.

Harry's next movie project(s) are The Matrix 2 & 3 though, like the rest of the cast he is sworn to secrecy about these hotly anticipated sequels to the ground -breaking original.

'All I can say is that in my opinion they are good scripts. There are certain classical motifs to the storylines and I think the techniques I have been learning with the RSC 's (Royal Shakespeare Company) voice coach can also be applied to my work on The Matrix .'

AND while on the subject of renovations, honorary Sydneysider Laurence Fishburne and his fiancee Gina Torres were spotted chatting over coffee with interior decorator Alex McCardle in Kings Cross. Maybe he's looking to make his home away from home a little more like home.

AND while on the subject of renovations, honorary Sydneysider Laurence Fishburne and his fiancee Gina Torres were spotted chatting over coffee with interior decorator Alex McCardle in Kings Cross. Maybe he's looking to make his home away from home a little more like home.

Production on the Matrix sequels may not be complete, but star Laurence Fishburne has hit the road. For a car-chase sequence in Warner Bros.' $ 127 million Matrix Reloaded, producers spent more than three months building a two-mile highway in Alameda, Calif.--and the actor did some Morpheus motorin'. "There's no cops!" Fishburne says. "You can get in a vehicle and put pedal to the metal and forget about it. I was going so fast, they couldn't stop me."

The Matrix pit crew spent three months filming on the counterfeit concrete, constructed at an abandoned naval air station. "It's the first time a studio has built a freeway for a movie," boasts second-unit director David Ellis. (Warner Bros. declined to comment for this story.) The set was torn down after the sequence wrapped--with the materials to be recycled in a low-income housing development in Mexico.

Honorary Sydneysider Keanu Reeves seems to have hit upon a perfect disguise for getting about unnoticed. While on the town with fellow Matrix man Laurence Fishburne on Saturday night, Reeves donned his motorcycle helmet to walk through Kings Cross to the Peppermint Lounge

"The Matrix Revisited"

Language/Sub-Titles: English, Francais, Espanol, Portugues, Chinese, Thai & Korean
Documentaries: "What Is To Come?" Featurette, "Animatrix" Production, Internet Fan Reaction
Clips: Yuen Wo Ping's "Blocking" Tapes, Deleted "Wet Wall" scene, Clip Montage, Website Discussion
Region 1 vs. Region 4: No Region 4 DVD Available.

DVD Review: Swapping between high quality DVD print widescreen and home video proves surprisingly smooth in this disc release. One of the reasons I guess is that most of these docos are shot on film or home video and so in natural light have a very grainy and soft look to them. Everything here has been done in high quality digital video and sequences you'd expect to show artifacts are clear and sharp. The sound isn't made of much use other than the film clip segments but no surprise there.

Onto the extras and most of them are more 'promo ads' for other things than insights into anything. The highlights are Wo Ping's "Blocking Tapes" which is basically a recreation of the main fights in the film (kind of fun and cool, moe realistic looking and sounding than the final movie as well), along with a 'deleted scene' from the doco explaining the 'wetwall' sequence. The other extras aren't so good - "What is To Come" is more an ad for the upcoming game and both it and the last bit of the main doco give basically no insight into the next film (though we do see Fishburne learning to stunt drive cars). The "Animatrix" segment is interesting in itself but why not shows us examples of the work done by the animators, "True Followers" is a 5-minute featurette on how a group of about six people met in "The Matrix" chat room (what in the hell was the point of this), a promo ad for what's to come on the official site, and a clip montage of about 3-minutes set to music. There's not much here in the way of extras to really pull you in, this is made for and designed for hardcore fans of the original film solely and for those guys - they'll love this. - Garth Franklin

The Matrix Reloaded: Tele7Jours reports that French actor Lambert Wilson and goddess Monica Belucci will play roles, Wilson a baddie (but one who just speaks - no action/fights for him).

THE MATRIX

Every once in awhile, when the DVD release slate kind of slows down, the Clinic is going to dig up some old favorites and give them a second look. Case in point: The Matrix, whose disc came out almost two years ago but still reigns as one of the greatest DVDs of all time. Up until the release of GLADIATOR just a few months ago, it also held the title of all-time best selling DVD.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT?

A geeky programmer (Keanu Reeves) is contacted by a group of rebels who seek to free humanity from the dominance of computers. He soon discovers that the world he lives in isn't really there (stay with me here) and that humans are basically living in a dream world created by artificially intelligent machines. Picked by the rebels as "the Chosen One", he must learn to harness his powers to overcome the evil mechanical overlords.

IS IT A GOOD MOVIE?

If by some freak accident you haven't had the chance to see this movie, allow me the pleasure of filling you in on this terrific flick. With jaw dropping special effects and solid performances from everyone involved, the Matrix single-handedly introduced the "wire fu" phenomenon to North American audiences. Using the storyline to their advantage, we池e presented with a future world where individuals can break the laws of gravity and perform unbelievably insane acrobatic stunts. With brilliant cinematography, we bear witness to, for lack of a better term, beautiful action sequences which feature some of the coolest fights ever put to film. Even if you're not a fan of the genre, you'rel marvel at the sheer complexity and choreography of the shots. The now infamous lobby scene, which highlights a John Woo-esque gun battle, will blow your mind. It's the perfect marriage of violence and visual beauty.

The movie also has a bleak and dark feel to it and for the most part, is wonderfully shot to accentuate the desolate outlook of the plot. Keanu Reeves finally manages to get a role which is perfectly suited to his personality because his actions and stunts end up doing most of the talking. In a debut role, Carrie-Ann Moss plays the femme fatale role to perfection, kicking all kinds of ass all over the place. What makes the Matrix such a great movie is its originality, showing us things we致e never seen before. I only hope the sequels manage to achieve the same level of craziness and spectacular visuals. If you haven't seen it, it's definitely worth a look.

VIDEO

Holy freaking crap. That's basically all that's needed to be said for this sick, sick DVD ("sick" in a good way, of course!). In collector's circles, this is what they like to refer to as "home theatre demo disc". Meaning if you just spent 5 grand on an HDTV and want to impress your friends, just pop in The Matrix, sit back and watch the drool drop from your buddies・mouths. While visual quality is always improving with time, this one still stands as one of the clearest, most detailed DVDs out there. It's presented in a widescreen anamorphic format. (2.35:1)

AUDIO

Using but a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, raise the volume and bass levels and hold on to your popcorn. The disc is extremely loud and with a good surround speaker set up, will shake the walls of your living room (The neighbors definitely won't approve, but who cares). Every action sequence pounds through the speakers, with the subwoofers doing plenty of acoustic damage. A great disc to listen to from start to finish. The DVD includes 2 commentary tracks, one from Carrie-Ann Moss, Editor Zach Staenberg and FX supervisor John Gaeta and another which is an isolated musical score with comments from composer Don Davis. The first from the trio of cast and crew isn't exactly a riveting listen, and is filled with sound gaps and pauses. The music only track is worth a listen if you really dig the score.

THE EXTRAS

Starting off the bonuses is a 25 minute "HBO First Look" documentary which goes into extensive detail on how many of the stunts were performed but also providing some very cool interviews with the Wachowski brothers (the directors and writers) as well as the cast and crew. It's definitely worth a look and is a must watch for fans of the movie. The DVD also features a "Take the Red Pill" feature which when selected, provides brief (5 minute) FX explanations for some of the more complex scenes in the flick. You'rel be shown how "Bullet Time" was invented to film certain scenes, where dozens of cameras were used to achieve a seamless rotating shot effect.

The best extra however is the "Follow the White Rabbit" option which allows you to watch the entire movie and check out behind the scenes raw footage of how the FX were put together. While watching the Matrix, when a white rabbit appears on screen, press the enter button on the player and you'rel be treated to a short 2-3 minute clip. Once the clip is over, the movie automatically resumes. Very cool and definitely worth checking out. Extensive biographies and filmographies of both cast and crew finish up the added features. The menus are completely animated with blasting sound, using a looping montage of the wildest scenes from the movie. They're probably the sickest menus I致e ever seen on any DVD.

FINAL DIAGNOSIS

THE MATRIX REVISITED - 7.9

BUY IT AT AMAZON: CLICK HERE
STUDIO: Warner Brothers
MSRP:$19.98 RATED: R
RUNNING TIME: 163 minutes
SPECIAL FEATURES:
• Available subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Thai

The Matrix was in my top three films of 1999 (my original review here) only because Fight Club and The Insider came out the same year, but it's easily in my top ten of that decade.

Now, it's not as cool to like it and the popularity of the film certainly diminished its payload on the filmgoing psyche.

Nothing's changed, and while it may not be the most perfect or wholly original films there is, it combined the elements and DID IT RIGHT.

Instead of going the "Ultimate" route, this DVD of supplemental goodies is available separately for fans of the film and you certainly cannot fault that logic.

Keanu and Larry spar for the assembled fans of Dogstar.

The Flick

Essentially, this is everything you always wanted to ask about the Matrix*

(* But wasn't provided on the first DVD.)

(Director's photo)
"Se we... like... read a lot of comics and figured we'd like... make a movie."

A two hours documentary featuring loads of insight into the idea, development, and execution of the film and even a bit on the sequels.

While the brothers Wachowski come off as really vacant (which I think is actually just a lack of comfort with being interviewed coupled with the task of actually expressing their thoughts onscreen), there's so much meat here from Joel Silver (if there's a better person to have backing your film show me his face), Carrie-Anne Moss, Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Geof Darrow, the FX guys, executives, costume people, stunt coordinators and more that it really is a documentary worthy of its own DVD.

(Moss's photo)
"I truly feel that people far underestimate what Beau Bridges brings to the table."

Watching this really improved my opinion of Keanu Reeves, because when you see the drive he had for the part (going through the process with a vertebrae in need of fusing), and how meticulous he was with the fighting it's impossible not to at least appreciate the effort.

In addition, he really does a good job of explaining his approach to the role. While sometimes he tries to think too much into the process, he comes off as a lot more articulate and serious about his work than his reputation would have you believe.

(Photo)
"You see, without this tuft of hair on my chin I just can't sell you on my coolness."

Then there's the absolutely massive undertaking in regards to the design and technological work to make the film a reality.

While "Bullet Time" is addressed, the effort into the helicopter crash, sentinels, and the design of the ship is equally cool and we get to see a lot of the test runs for those effects (including a cool look at the bullet time prototype runs).

Really, REALLY neat.

Cool, but not as cool as the menus for the upcoming Spacecamp: Revisited.

This is the kind of documentary that is so much more than a promotional tool. It's a labor of love (this one's directed by Josh Oreck), and something that shows full access granted to cover the process in detail.

(Fishburn's photo)
"Why do I feel like George Lucas is near?"

On top of that the DVD has a sneak peak at part two (including test runs for the car chases as well as some wire work rehearsal and tiny bits of info from the principals.

I was worried that the sequels would be lesser, but all indications appear that they get increasingly better (if that info came from a studio head I'd be skeptical, but it's the general consensus) which is good to hear.

Granted, we have to wait and see, but seeing everyone so enthusiastic about it helps matters.

In addition there's some cool Easter Eggs (I found the lady in the red dress stuff and a whole slew of music in this hidden jukebox), a look at the upcoming Animatrix anime series and so much more.

If you own The Matrix, this is a worthy addition to your collection.

If you don't, grab the 2 pack of this and the film and realize that for a change the hype was true.

Excellent.

8.2 out of 10

(Keanu's photo)
"Oh, no... I own a hairbrush but I haven't read the instructions yet, so..."

It's fullscreen, but certainly not offensive in any way. Sharp (aside from the stuff shot on lesser equipment since there's a variety of source material here).

Not demo material, but good for a documentary.

6.5 out of 10

The Noise

Dolby 5.1, but for the most part an unnecessary exercise.

Moderate at best, aside from the menus and flashier stuff.

6.0 out of 10

The Goodies

See the review itself. This is a disc of goodies.

0.0 out of 10

The Artwork

Pretty straightforward, it uses the same approach as the first disc, but is not a BAD looking disc, although you know how we feel about the snapper casing.

7.0 out of 10

THE FLICK: 8.2 THE LOOK: 6.5 THE NOISE: 6.0 THE GOODIES: 0.0 THE ARTWORK: 7.0 OVERALL: 7.9

11-16-2001
By Nick Nunziata
Contributing sources:

Matrix Revisited (DVD Review)

Date:15-Nov-2001
From:Current Film
(The detail is here)
Author:Jeremy Conrad

The Matrix: Revisited

If you are a Matrix fan, you're going to want this DVD.

One thing that really annoys DVD users is the process of "double dipping". Studios would release a movie on DVD only to follow it up a few months later with a loaded special edition. Instead of doing that with The Matrix (as the original disc isn't too bad by itself), Warner Bros. is releasing a single-disc companion DVD titled The Matrix Revisited.

Instead of just filling the disc full of useless promotional junk, the DVD actually contains a full-length two-hour long documentary movie on The Matrix. Sure you do get some extras such as a look at the upcoming Matrix Anime short films and other extras, but the meat of this disc is the excellent documentary.

The Movie

There is an amazing book out called The Art of The Matrix. This hardcover book features the entire screenplay of the film and tons of information about it's evolution, art, and production. Until now, it was the best source of information for Matrix fanatics who want to find out more about the huge blockbuster.

This documentary has replaced that book as the best look inside the production of The Matrix.

It starts off with the very earliest origins of the story all the way through the completion of the movie and the start of the two sequels. There is just so much good stuff here for Matrix fans (a good majority of it has never been seen before) that if you are even remotely interested in the film, this is a must-see documentary.

Most of it is made up of behind the scenes footage shot before, during, and after the production of the movie that is mixed in with brand-new interviews with the cast right from the set of the Matrix sequels.

Agent Smith looks like he just ripped one.

There isn't a stone left unturned in this documentary. From the smallest details as to why Keanu was wearing a neck brace during fight training (and how it affected the production later), too extremely detailed analysis of each major action sequence there really isn't anything that is left out.

Wo Ping is THE MAN.

Even if you've already seen The Matrix hundreds of times, there are some things in this documentary that will make you want to go back and re-watch the movie to look for little details that are talked about here. Some of these is a "grid" look that is applied to architecture in the Matrix city, and the use of twins on the city streets after the scene with the two black cats (to show glitching in the Matrix).Nice.

If you were a fan of The Matrix, you absolutely must check out this documentary. In the two-hours that is lasts, you'll get the best inside look to the film that you could possibly hope for.

Highly Recommended.

9 out of 10

The Video

Most of the behind-the-scenes stuff was shot on video, so don't go in expecting to be blown away by the quality of the image here. Its just good for what it needs to get across.

6 out of 10

The Audio

As with the video, don't expect much here. Even the film sequences that they show aren't the loudest portions of the movie.

5 out of 10

The Extras

Even though this is a companion disc, it has its own share of special features.

You access them through a menu called "Go Further". The first extra here is "What is to Come?", which features a short montage of behind-the-scenes footage from The Matrix sequels including some shots of them filming the zero-g combat scenes that have been rumored for a while. The extra then ends with a short clip of Dave Perry of Shiny at the motion capture session for the upcoming Matrix 2 videogame.

"What is Animatrix" is a brief preview of the upcoming series of animated Matrix short films filled with interviews of the creators as well as a look at storyboards. "Whatisthematrix.com?" is a very short feature on the website and sort of turns into a quick ad to get people to go there. Next up is "Dace with the Master: Yuen Wo Ping's Blocking Tapes". Lasting over five minutes, here is where you can see the blocking tapes for each major fight in the movie.

Continuing onto the next page of the special features you'll find "The True Followers". You ever see the documentary "Trekkies"? As with that hilarious film, this short feature is scary because it is true. I'll just let this screen capture explain things:

Um...is that a wig?

Finally you get a behind-the-scenes clip for the Bathroom Fight that didn't make it into the documentary, and then a three-minute montage of other behind-the-scenes clips that just didn't fit in anywhere else.

6 out of 10

The Matrix: Revisited is a must-own DVD if you are a fan of the movie, just for the great documentary that the disc holds. It'll give you more information on The Matrix than you ever could have expected.

In early 1999, "The Matrix" amazed and thrilled audiences with its remarkable special effects, interesting story and fascinating visuals. Much really hadn't been said or heard about the film early in production, then more and more details and images from the production came out and the excitement built. A series of marvelously edited and powerful trailers were the first elements to hook audience's interest - by the time of release, the excitement of the film's release had built to an exceptional level, but not quite to the point of the kind of hype that will overpower a film's possibility for success in the way that "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" ran into.

The film's success and continuing box office run after its release not only opened the doors to two sequels for the picture (which are currently in production), but influenced quite a number of action films that came after (most of which, like "The One", pale in comparison). It's now been quite some time since "The Matrix" really hit audiences and Warner Brothers has obviously felt the need to pull audiences back into the "Matrix" stories and give fans something to hold them over at least somewhat until the release of the sequel - hence, "The Matrix: Revisited", a 120 minute documentary about the making of "The Matrix".

The documentary mainly revolves around interviews with those involved: directors The Wachowski Brothers, ace cinematographer Bill Pope, editor Zach Staenberg, legendary (rightly so) fight choreographer Yuen Wo Ping, producer Joel Silver, actors Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie Anne-Moss and other members of the film's cast and crew. The documentary mainly revolves around the first picture - for those who are hoping to see some sneak peeks of the second picture, there really aren't many. "Revisited" revolves almost entirely around the production of the first picture, as we hear from many of the crew members, who discuss their roles in the film's production - such as costumes, sets, visual effects and other elements. Most of the detailed production interviews are quite informative and interesting; yet, there are moments that talk about the story (Reeves often discusses it in his interviews) or how great everyone was that offer less insight. These moments are brief and mainly at the begining of the documentary.

While much of the documentary offers interviews from around the set and in offices, there are also some terrific behind-the-scenes clips, showing the actors in serious physical preparation for their fight sequences and some clips of the production at work in Australia. The documentary gets more enjoyable in the second half, as we see more about the making of the film and some of the obstacles that had to be faced (Reeves' physical problems as the production began) and in-depth footage of how some of the film's biggest stunts were achieved.

I think there was some concern over this release and what it would contain (I didn't even know that the main piece that was going to be included was this two-hour documentary. Overall though, I was very pleased. I didn't feel this was just some "promotional" piece, but a well-crafted and often very informative two-hour documentary about the film's journey from pre-production to final film.

VIDEO: The documentary is presented in 1.33:1 full-frame, while the clips of the movie throughout are presented in 2.35:1 widescreen. The quality of the image is generally excellent, as the image remained sharp and detailed throughout the entire program, with only a few minor instances of shimmer to take away from the image. Colors remained bold and vibrant throughout, with no concerns.

SOUND: The documentary is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, but there's really little for the surrounds to do but lightly reinforce the music. The interviews are the focus and the discussions of those on-screen remained clear and easily understood.

MENUS: Slightly animated, with background music and film-themed images.

EXTRAS:

What Is To Come?: While there was some discussion at the end of the main documentary, this section actually offers some production footage of the sequel and slight discussion of what you might see. At a little less than 3 minutes, it doesn't offer more than a glimpse.

What is the Animatrix?: A short documentary discussing the planned animated "Matrix" stories. The head animators, as well as producer Joel Silver, are interviewed.

Whatisthematrix.com?: A short featurette where producer Joel Silver discusses what is included on the "Matrix" website and how the material was produced.

The Dance of the Master: This section allows the viewer to watch fight choreographer Yuen Wo-Ping's blocking tapes as the film's fight sequences are planned out. 5 min - 39 sec.

The True Followers: A short featurette about the film's internet fans. A bit strange.

Bathroom Fight: A smaller documentary about the preparations for the bathroom fight sequence.

But Wait, There's More: Additional random clips of the production at work, cut together into a short featurette.

Final Thoughts: While I wouldn't say that "The Matrix Revisited" isn't without a few minor slow moments, I thought the majority of the documentary and the extra features were well-crafted, informative and entertaining - the entire package provides substance and isn't something "promotional". Priced at $19.99 ($14.99 at most places is likely), this is a nicely done package that fans of the film should consider taking a look at. Note: there is also a "2 pack" now available with the "Matrix" and "Matrix: Revisited" DVDs together.

More Information on the upcoming Matrix Anime(Matrix Revisited)

The Matrix has enjoyed a great deal of success since its release. A lot of speculation about just what was in store for the movie's two sequels has created a lot of rumors about the upcoming Animation series.

Next week will see the release of the Matrix Revisited DVD. The DVD is a "making of" DVD that also imparts a great deal of information about "Animatrix", the anime series based off the movie.

Animatrix will be 5 short films about how Earth went from here to there. The stories will detail events that caused the rise of mahicnes to be the dominant rulers of the planet and how they were created.

The series will bring some of most reknowned Japanese Anime talent. Micheal Arias will be producing the series as a whole, but each film will have it's own staff, writers, and artists. He is best known for working on one the Halloween movies. His experience in Anime may be lacking, but to make up for that they have a plethora of talent to help him out.

Yoshiaki Kawajiri of Ninja Scroll and Vampire Hunter D fame will be directing one of the films. Yoshiaki Kawajiri of Madhouse Studio says he thinks that the Matrix is a "flat-out incredible experience both visually and on a narrative level. It conviced me that a new breed of Film making had arrived". This film takes place in a simulated training program heavy in the Ninja department and eventually ends up leading back to the bleak desolate world of the Matrix.

Yoshiaki Kawajiri is also working on a second episode. The second episode is about a man who is able to break through the viel of the Matrix into the real world by pure stregth alone. He is also joined by Takeshi Koike, an animator at Madhouse Studios.

Another episode is being directed by Mahiro Maeda, director of Blue Submarine No. 6, and is a "prequel" of sorts to the first Matrix movie. His work will tell the story of the war between humanity and the machines.

Another of the episodes will be produced by Square, makers of the Final Fantasy Movie. The film will use the technology created and used in the FInal Fantasy Movie.

The animes will be released on a regular basis in about a year as a precurser to the second Matrix Movie. They will be on DVD, but it is suggested that they may also be streamed across the internet. The information on the medium is not yet set in stone.

MATRIX 2 NEWS

"yes they filmed all nite, right up till 0430 on Tuesday nite, and 0600 on Wednesday, which incidentally was a resounding success because it didn't rain as much. But that Lincoln Continental with the suicide doors has to be one of the most awesome looking cars I have ever had the privilege to see up close. But with therain came some inventive road drying techniques, luckily Stand-by had some flamers to heat the road for light reflections, rain really only reads on film when it is lit properly, so they did the flame action and got their shots. (that's what took up time) All in all it was a great two nites, 2nd Unit is always heaps off fun...even bumping out at 0700 after about 15 hour on my feet, and their still is another nite of filming to go...so might see you in the back of the unit truck...PaulX"

WATCH this face ... it's going places.

Former Gold Coast schoolboy Clayton Watson has landed a role in The Matrix, opposite Hollywood star Keanu Reeves.

Watson, 24, will play The Kid, a teenager who casts himself in the mould of his hero Neo (played by Reeves).

The Kid's mission is to join Neo, Trinity and Morpheus in their search for truth.

The trio, however, think The Kid is too young to cut the mustard on their team.

Watson makes a short debut in Matrix 2, with his character's history further expanded for fans in a Japanese anime short, which will tail the movie when it is released on DVD.

Watson, meanwhile, is off to join Reeves and crew for a bigger role in Matrix 3 when shooting begins next year.

His contract options him for Matrix movies four, five and six should the series last that long.

"I was such a fan of The Matrix. I just couldn't believe it when I learned I'd got the role," says Watson, who won the role from hopefuls who auditioned in Australia and the United States.

"I got a phone call about two weeks after my final audition in America, so no one else saw my reaction, luckily. I laughed, I cried and I even swore," he laughs.

SYDNEY streets were transformed into an inner-city Chicago streetscape today for the filming of The Matrix II.

The sequel, expected to be titled The Matrix Reloaded, follows the 1999 Hollywood blockbuster The Matrix.

Stars from the original film including Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss are back in Sydney filming alongside local actors and extras.

The sequel has an expected release date of May 2003.

Overnight, a clearway was created along Castlereagh and Campbell Sts.

Traffic signs were changed, American-style trash cans, fire hydrants and newspaper dispensers were added to the footpaths and American number-plates were placed on dark cars which lined the street.

Neither Reeves, Moss nor Fishburne were on location today, but an untrained eye could have thought they were as stand-ins took their places.

Moss' stand-in was wearing her character Trinity's trademark black vinyl dress, while Fishburne's stand-in was suitably coy in dark glasses and a suave trenchcoat.

The crew spent most of the night setting up and filming a scene where Moss and Fishburne drive around a corner in their midnight blue sedan.

No detail was overlooked with the scene complete with smoke filtered out of the drains to keep the film's location authentic.

Motorists may be confused when they drive past two banners this morning - one with a cow saying "mmmm steak" and the other proclaiming "watch TV", which have been erected on the corner of the two streets and are expected to remain there as filming continues.

Trees lining the street were wrapped in brown hessian and covered by green cylinders.

Technicians and gophers on the set said they were excited to be back filming in Australia.

"It's a beautiful place," said a crew member.

Onlookers were equally thrilled as they watched the action from behind barricades.

"I can't believe that this is going to be in the film," said one. "That's pretty cool."

Local stars Hugo Weaving, Christine Anu, Ada Nicodemou and Lachy Hulme all have roles in the film.

Filming will also take place at Fox Studios as well as in California and Chicago in the US.

By filming the original Matrix in Australia, the producers were able to keep the budget down to about $60 million -- estimated to be about a third of what it would have cost if it had been made in the US.

A third film - The Matrix Revolutions - will also be filmed in Sydney. The back-to-back productions are expected to inject $300 million into Sydney's economy.

The cast experienced a tragic setback as they began filming when co-star Aaliyah

November 9, 2001

More to Satisfy 'Matrix' Mania

Joel Silver, producer of "The Matrix" and two new "Matrix" movies now being filmed simultaneously in Australia, has some time on his hands.

"We have two and a half years between now and the sequels, and we want to make sure people don't forget us," he said.

Not that anybody is about to forget the original (and original it was) any time soon, but there will be a lot to turn our heads between now and 2003 when the first of the sequels ・"Matrix Reloaded" is the working title ・is to arrive in theaters.

So Mr. Silver has helped conceive a special DVD to occupy fans in the meantime. Released on disc in 1999, Andy and Larry Wachowski's "Matrix" is now a best-selling DVD. On Nov. 20, Warner will release "The Matrix Revisited," which picks up where the first disc left off and paves the way for a third disc to further while away the wait for "Matrix Reloaded."

At the core of the new disc is fresh material from the 1,500 hours of film shot behind the scenes during the making of "The Matrix" in 1997. None of it appears on the first "Matrix" DVD. Promotion for the new disc mentions going behind the scenes of the sequels, but that is a bit of a stretch. Actors in major roles in the old and the new films ・Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie- Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving ・talk vaguely about the new films and are shown training for kung fu battles and otherwise cavorting about a giant hangarlike space allotted to the new movies. But in the main, the new disc dwells on the making of the old "Matrix."

Back then, it was a decidedly iffy project by two iconoclastic, relatively untried filmmakers. "The Matrix" warranted no house trailers for the cast and, Ms. Moss says, only one bathroom.

What's more, few associated with the movie had a firm idea of what the Wachowskis' script was about, beyond the idea that earth's inhabitants were under the control of a huge computer program managed by anthropods.

The cast and crew talk about a comic-book influence and an Eastern influence squashed into Western philosophy. Mr. Fishburne says that what he doesn't fathom is why anybody couldn't understand the screenplay. Mr. Reeves lists the books he was assigned to read for the film, including Jean Baudrillard's "Simulacra and Simulation" and Kevin Kelly's "Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems and the Economic World."

The Wachowskis, a relaxed pair in baseball caps turned backward, explain themselves more than they did on the first DVD. Then the disc moves on to describe an innovative notion indeed. To stir new interest in the franchise, 10 short anime films by the "gods of Japanese animation," as Mr. Silver describes them, and supervised by the Wachowskis, are being developed to serve as prequels to the original "Matrix" and precursors of what is to come. The plan is to put them on the Web, where "Matrix" fans still swarm hungrily, and release them on another DVD, perhaps next year.

All that is missing on "The Matrix Revisited" is a movie to go with the extras, an omission that is perhaps a first. The basic disc is $19.98 (it's also available on VHS for $14.95), but a two-disc set with "The Matrix" included is $39.98. Everybody should have plenty to do

The Matrix: Reloaded

Empire reports that Australian singer Christine Anu has scored a role, possibly as Aaliyah's replacement.

Someone's out to get me

The scent of burning rice paper is said to linger around the set of The Matrix 2. At the studios in Australia where Keanu Reeves is shooting the sequel to the box-office smash, the air should waft with the sweet smell of nothing more than shrimps on the barbecue. Unfortunately pink crustaceans won't lift a deadly curse. The decision to draft in ancient Buddhist teachings, ceremonial rice paper and a pyre is an attempt to ensure the cast's survival and the film's completion. Death, they say, is stalking the sound stages.

Before the first reel of film was actually shot, the producers of the Matrix 2 & 3, to be filmed in tandem in Sydney, lost two key cast members to the Grim Reaper. Aaliyah, the singer and actress who had extensively rehearsed for a leading role in the sequels, was killed in a plane crash, while last month Gloria Foster, who played The Oracle in the first feature, died of a heart attack. The tendrils of disaster have also reached the movie's star. Last Christmas Reeves's daughter Eve was stillborn, in February he almost died in a motorbike accident and in April his ex-girlfriend died in a car crash. And Carrie-Anne Moss, who co-starred as Trinity, injured her leg so badly during rehearsals she was sidelined for five weeks.

Keanu Reeves is said to be so troubled by the film's continuing ill-fortune that he has revived the teachings he learned for his role in Little Buddha. "By chanting to ward off evil spirits, Keanu is ensuring the studio is blessed with good karma," says Reverend Kusala, a leading American Buddhist. "He could actually be taking it further, and asking that the movie pass good karma around the world every time it's watched."

The "cursed film" is a Hollywood legend, many claim, but few have the necessary combination of multiple deaths, rotten box office and spooky twists of fate necessary truly to earn the tag . Time will tell if the Matrices 2 and 3 have what it takes . To paraphrase that old antipodean wag, Crocodile Dundee: "That's not a curse, now this is a curse."

When qualifying what constitutes a cursed film it is important to subtract the "screw-up" factor. Apocalypse Now may be viewed as an epic touched by ill fate. Sure, the shoot overran by months, Martin Sheen had a heart attack and the sets blew away in a hurricane. But then Francis Ford Coppola was badly prepared, Sheen was a heavy drinker torturing himself on 70 fags a day and despite warnings from Roger Corman, Coppola insisted on shooting during hurricane season. Ditto Fitzcarraldo. When Werner Herzog decided to make a movie about a man who dragged a steamship over a mountain, no-one forced him actually to drag a steamship over a mountain and film the results. Is it any wonder the cameras were stolen, an extra was paralysed in a plane crash, and three others were injured trying to pull the tub over a hill? "We were cursed," ranted Herzog. But only by stupidity and the presence of Klaus Kinski, on whom Herzog once pulled a gun, screaming: "Act mother******. Act!"

Then there is the legendary curse of Superman, the belief that anyone associated with the Man of Steel will buckle and bend. Bad luck first descended on the TV series when George Reeves - spot the surname, spooky! - shot himself in 1959. His predecessor, Kirk Alyn, who wore the tights in the 1940s, was stricken by Alzheimer's and both men claimed the role destroyed their careers. The 1978 movie starred Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder and Richard Pryor. Is the fact that Reeve is now paralysed from the neck down, Kidder suffers from manic-depression and Pryor is stricken with Parkinson's disease a direct result of the film, which happily generated more than 」100m at the box office, sparked four sequels and set them up for life? No self-respecting curse would first reward its victims so handsomely.

A sub-section of cursed films is curiously mislabelled and should refer to cursed individuals. Brandon Lee, before his name was swiped by a 30-year-old Scots "schoolboy", was a promising actor and the son of Bruce Lee. Like father, like son; both died young - Bruce, under suspicious circumstances while filming Game of Death, causing a crisis that involved extensive re-shoots with a Lee look-a-like, while his son died exactly 20 years later while filming The Crow, ironically about a man who is shot and then comes back from the dead. In spite of Lee's death, The Crow flourished, garnering critical acclaim and kick-starting the director's career. It also developed a certain cachet, as a result of the story surrounding the lead actor's demise. In comparison, The Twilight Zone in which the actor Vic Morrow and two Vietnamese children were decapitated when a helicopter fell on them, enjoys only a ghoulish curiosity value as his final film.

Unsurprisingly, the principal films accused of being "cursed" are horror films, where the decision to dabble with dark matters is rewarded with pain and despair. The most prominent was The Exorcist, during the filming of which one actor died and various mishaps occurred. The "curse" on the film was hyped by director William Friedkin to heighten its appeal, but it was dismissed by its star Max Von Sydow, who insisted that any film that shot for over a year was bound to encounter a range of problems. The Wicker Man, regarded by many as one of the finest horror films ever made, was "cursed" after shooting ended - the director was fired, the film re-edited and Rod Stewart attempted to buy and destroy the negative to prevent the world seeing Britt Ekland, his then girlfriend, in the nude.

Yet these films are positive success stories in comparison to perhaps the only movie truly to deserve the title "cursed": The Incubus. It was not the fact that the film starred William Shatner , nor perhaps even the ludicrous decision to shoot the film's dialogue in Esperanto, but something certainly triggered dark forces. "Who knows if there's a curse?" says Tony Taylor, the movie's producer, "but a lot of stuff happened to a lot of people." An arty horror film about a beautiful succubus who lures corrupt men to their deaths, and her fouler brother the Incubus, the production led to murder, suicide and kidnapping.

After wrapping, Milos Milos, Yugoslavian actor who played the Incubus, murdered his lover, Barbara Ann Thompson and then shot himself. A few weeks later Ann Atmar, who played Shatner's sister, also committed suicide. Two years after the film's limited release, the daughter of the actress who played the succubus was kidnapped and murdered. At the premiere in San Francisco the soundtrack went missing and the film later bombed, despite being described as the "best fantasy film since Nosferatu" by Paris Match.

Some did escape the film's tentacles. Cinematographer Conrad Hall went on to win Oscars for Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid and American Beauty. "My curse has been to win two Oscars and to have three grandchildren and a wonderful life," he said recently.

As burnt flecks of rice paper rise heavenwards in Sydney, Keanu Reeves is sure the Gods will now smile on his humble offering. The Matrix production team will have to keep a look out for the demons.

SPOTTED . . . Laurence Fishburne chatting between courses with Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassell seated at another table, within the plush confines of Aria, East Circular Quay, on Tuesday night. Also seen were Mark Latham and Paul Keating.

Report from the shooting @ Elizabeth Street - SPOILERS! -- Yes, I was there, who wants my autograph? Wednesday, November 07, 2001 News : Movies : The Matrix: Reloaded :

Alright, this is the greatest piece of news you'll ever hear. Period. No doubt about it, you'll never be the same once you hear the following information.

Here goes...

I was inside an ACTUAL CITY PHONE BOOTH. I used the phone and everything!

See? The most phenomenal thing you've ever heard. Or something.

Okay, here's the real deal:

SHOOTING IN THE CITY by Nerje (nerje@thematrixonline.com) I arrived at 6 pm, and nothing was happening yet. After a while I saw some truck scooting around, and unloading equipment. Excited, I checked it out - I spoke to a very secretive security guard, and it went a little like this:

NERJE: So what's happening here?
SECURITY GUARD: We're filming.
N: Filming what exactly?
SG: A film.
N: No kidding! What film?
SG: The Burly Man. I suppose that doesn't mean much to you.
N: I know what it means.
SG: Oh. (Shuffles away and begins a lengthy campaign of ignoring me)

So that was my first clue that I was in the right place. Then, at 6:30, they started towing cars out of the street. Friendly. Between this time and 8:30, they unloaded a lot of props from the many white trucks around the area. The props included:

- Mesh trash cans full of pretend rubbish
- Green and red brochure stands, emblazoned "Free, take one!"
- A small metal phone stand
- Very American fire hydrants
- An American post box
- A newspaper box (the ones where you put the money in the slot and lift the lid)
- And a City Phone booth. I sat right next to it as the actual phone console was screwed in. I got to mess around in it, pretend I was using the hardline, and all sorts of other stuff. At first, it had white signs, one saying city and the other saying phone. Later in the night, both of these were replaced with green signs saying CITY and a phone symbol next to them. Extra cool stuff.

The crew were hard at work, messign around, then at 8:30 the street was closed to traffic. Then they brought in the CARS. A whole heap of right hand and left hand drive cars. The ones that were incorrect were being changed by putting a cloth over the steering wheel and putting a fake one on the passenger side. Tricky. There were also a few nice sports cars amongst them too.

Two cars to note: At the front of the queue was a really badly painted brown Chevrolet. Painted too badly to be in the movie as a prop - maybe to be crashed or blown up? The other car was a police car. There were two police officers walking around. Through conversation with them and many, many other people around the street, I found out:

The cops were professional drivers, and they are had been here shooting for 6 weeks. They were expected to stay until next year. Somebody told me they claimed to be Agents in disguise and pointed to the silver tie clips. Another guy heard that in the particular scene "the grid is being shut down, and everything is slowly turning off," "this whole street will be darkened soon," "it'll be dead as a ghost town when we slow the cars to a halt."

I was told the scene would be in Reloaded, not Revolutions.

There is a little more that I can tell you, but it will have to wait for another time.

Nerje

The Matrix Reloaded: 'Will' visited Martin Place in Sydney last night where shooting on "The Matrix" sequel was underway, and along with the photos above, here's his report: "We went along last night and checked it all out. As expected, turned out to be second unit filming with no principal cast on set. The rain was delaying shooting - the crew said they were waiting for the rain to stop so they could dry the cars for the shot, but it ended up pouring all night so I don't know if they even got any shooting done at all. All the props were out on display though. The two actors playing the cops were American, not sure how involved their characters are in the film as they were extremely tight-lipped". There's another report up at The Matrix Online

The Matrix Reloaded: I spoke with upcoming Aussie actor Lachy Hume the other week in regards to the recent comedy release "Let's Get Skase" (full interview going up tomorrow), but before that I asked him the big question - what's his involvement in "The Matrix" sequel: "I play a guy called Sparks, who is Niobe's (Jada Pinkett Smith) right hand man. She's the captain of the 'Logose' (pronounced Low-Ghose), I'm the operator of the Logose", Do you get to get into the Matrix at all? "No I'm born in Zion...that's about all I can tell you". Thanks to 'The Gorgeous Gillian'.

The California Film Commission and its 57 FLICS (Film Liaisons in California, Statewide) paid tribute to those who help make a filmmaker's vision a reality at the 7th Annual California On Location Awards (COLA).

The event, held Oct. 21 at the Castaway in Burbank, honored location managers and production companies for professionalism while working on location in California. The awards also honor the state's public employees for their diligent work in assisting production companies.

The Humanitarian Award was presented to location manager Peter Novak for his ingenuity recycling the sets built for "The Matrix 2" and "The Matrix 3." Novak donated and delivered the set materials from the Bay Area to Mexico for the creation of 100 single-family homes.

Producer Joel Silver has revealed that the title of the second MATRIX sequel will be THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS. The film, now expected to be released in 2004, will follow THE MATRIX RELOADED, due in 2003.

Speaking of THE MATRIX Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Mosss are fast becoming part of the furniture around Sydney. Moss is often spotted taking her dog for a walk along Campbell Pde (see photo) and Keanu spent his Saturday night seeing the film at the top of the Australian Box Office, THE MAN WHO SUED GOD at Double Bay.