>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

ENTER THE UNFINISHED MATRIX

It's definitely a shame that the Wachowski Brothers didn't read the fan letter on this site. I've put the letter up last year and it stated clearly: "Don't rush the game to get it released with the film. Shiny is a very talented developer with a great games portfolio, but it's a fact of the past that most of the games that were too tightly pinned to a release date weren't the best games in history." (Read the complete letter <here>).

But they didn't listen. And now were all blaming the in-game camera that you can't see where you're kicking and get instantly killed when you walk off a rooftop when you could have sworn there was no gap. You'll get killed over and over not due to your lack of skills, but because the policemen and helicopters were shooting you from nobody knows where...

But as long as you're in a large room the fighting can definitely kick ass, and the only reason why you're trying to get through the frustrating parts is because you want to see where the story goes. The connections between the game, the movie, the animatrix and the internet are absolutely brilliant and that's actually the most important part of the game that keeps you motivated. I'm glad that the massive sales of the game can resolve Infogrames' financial situation but I'm afraid a lot of people will get disappointed.

But anyway, let's get back to the point. The game has been released for almost two weeks so it's definitely time for a patch. If only Shiny was given the time to finish the game properly...

What is introduced for this patch compared to the retail version:
- Cleaner graphics during gameplay and cineractives.
- New "Matrix Options Screen" that gives the user many more options.
- The user can Alt-Tab to switch to another application during gameplay.
- EAX option now works properly.

Download it <here>.


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OH MY GOD, ARE THEY REALLY NAKED?
Source: <Opinion Journal>

It's sometimes a little pathetic (at least in my opinion) reading how Americans are preventing teenage boys and girls from growing up by denying there are things like sex or violence... I'm thankful to live in a country where 12 year old kids can see the Matrix Reloaded, where you can order a beer when you're 16, where prostitutes pay taxes and marihuana can be bought without being arrested. And did I mention there's much less violence over here too? Oh, by the way, I've never visited a prostitute, don't smoke and never used any drugs, but if you want to, be my guest.

Sure, when it opened last week, "The Matrix Reloaded" savaged a few box-office records as if they were so many flimsy Agent Smith replicates. But it still couldn't beat out "Spider-Man" for a record three-day opening. And that amounts to a notable failure for this movie, considering that it benefited from more advance hype and fevered anticipation than the invasion of Iraq.

One reason the movie didn't completely rewrite the box-office record book can be put in a letter: "R." The flick's restricted rating made parents wary enough that thousands of them simply declined to let their teenage boys go see "The Matrix Reloaded" at least until they'd wrestled down this little problem. Here's hoping that's what happened, anyway.

Why the R rating? Certainly the barrage of elegantly choreographed martial-arts violence is one reason; but that stuff is merely a modern, stylized version of the barroom fighting in a cowboy film, rough but understandable. Besides, without it there's no movie. The real cocklebur is a gratuitous scene near the beginning of this video game--er, movie--that intercuts a paganistic orgy with private, full-flesh sex between the hero and heroine, Neo and Trinity, complete with pulsating drums in the background.

So while teenage boys, religious syncretists and dime-store philosophers might be in love with "The Matrix Reloaded," it isn't all that popular with some parents. The R rating and one sex scene have forced us to make an unpleasant choice: Forbid our youngsters from seeing the movie that their friends are raving about or let the coarser side of popular culture claim one more little victory. Understandably, the topic of movie-going--or not-going--ruined no fewer than three of our dinner hours last week.

"The Matrix Reloaded" is hardly an isolated case. For some time now parents have seen one seemingly harmless movie or another rise to the heights of popular adulation--pulling hard at the teen audience along the way--only to discover that it includes some gratuitous scene or two that makes it objectionable by any traditional standard. (And I don't mean an extreme, "prudish" one.) Needless domestic battle can result.

Remember "Titanic"? When it debuted in 1997, parents of 14-year-old girls were on the spot. The movie's appeal to all ages was strong: a love story and an epic that taught not only fairly accurate history but also the consequences of greed and chivalry and other motives. But there were those dodgy moments where Jack sketched Rose in the nude, not to mention their sexual encounter in the back of a car parked in the ship's freight garage. True, it was a romance, but parents had an implicit right to expect adequate restraint from a PG-13 film.

Oh please... If you want to read more of this so-called political correct prudish nonsense, click <here>... If you're 13 and would like to see The Matrix, catch a plane and visit this little country called Holland. Oh, and don't get excited about the Neo Trinity sex thing. Dutch soap operas show more. If you want to see the "paganistic orgy" (COME ON!!) turn on your television and watch a Hip-hop video on MTV.


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

CROWD GOES WILD IN TRINIDAD

Shiva sent me an email from the Caribbean. The Matrix Reloaded got mixed reviews, as anywhere else, but it was definitely well recieved by the audience.

I live in Trinidad in the Caribbean. Over here the movie released last Wednesday. A week after the US. There was riot at a cinema to get in. Police had to fire shots into the air to disperse the crowd. Another crowd broke down the gates, and another, at yet another cinema, started a bottle fight to get in because it sold out for every show that day.

The movie got mixed reviews here. Generally in Trinidad people like action movies. that's why all of Jet Li movies and stuff do so well here. The movie had the best action and fight scenes ever but the story confused many a mild minded Trini (as we call ourselves).

I was so impressed with the movie I bought the game, the reloaded soundtrack and the original DVD for the first movie in the same day. I am an XBOX reviewer for a site called insanegames.net and I must say I do not agree with the overall review of the game that it is mediocre. It is fast paced, you get to do everything except flying. The game breaks the action to car chases and FPS shooting, its very versatile and very well done. Not to mention the story that links the movie together.

Over here there are a couple Cineplex's but mostly there are old time cinemas that have balconies and such. In those, its a lot cheaper of course. However the crowd in these cheap cinemas aver VERY loud. I have watched reloaded 3 times. Twice in the loud cinemas and once in the Cineplex. You can't beat an enthusiastic crowd. During the 100 Smith fight scene there was so much "Whohaaaa" and "YAAAAAAHH" and yelling for Neo to "kick his ass" that you couldn't hear anything. It may sound frustrating but that's how Trinidadians are. During every fight scene and freeway scene people are wincing and squinting when they near miss a truck or get punched to the ground. People get of their chair and jump into the air "You saw that!!!! REWIND THAT SCENE REWIND THAT SCENE......THAT was WICKED!!" ahhaha. Its lots of fun to see the crowd love that movie like that.

It was well appreciated in Trinidad. It opened Wednesday and every 8 o'clock show was sold out at least a day before. All the other shows only had a handful of seats left. I went to the 2 o'clock yesterday and it only had a handful of seats available.

Hats off to the movie. Well done and it definitely lives up to the hype. Its going leave people thinking for ages. Anyone who says this movie was bad wasn't paying attention.... end of story.

Shiva Deonarine, 25 years of age, Trinidad


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ACTUAL HACKING PROGRAM USED IN RELOADED
Source: <Insecure.org>

I found this on Insecure.org. Finally hackers are taken serious by a Hollywood blockbuster. Trinity is using a real hacking program called Nmap:

"We have all seen many movies like Hackers which pass off ridiculous 3D animated eye-candy scenes as hacking. So I was shocked to find that Trinity does it properly in The Matrix Reloaded. She whips out Nmap version 2.54BETA25, uses it to find a vulnerable SSH server, and then proceeds to exploit it using the SSH1 CRC32 exploit from 2001. Shame on them for being vulnerable (timing notes). Congratulations to everyone who has helped make Nmap successful!"






>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

ENTER THE MATRIX BIGGEST SELLING GAME
Source: <CountingDown>

Atari's Enter The Matrix, a third-person action game that parallels Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures action blockbuster, The Matrix Reloaded, is the No. 1 selling video game worldwide, selling more than 1 million units in North America and Europe in the first week of availability. The game was made available in stores May 15, in conjunction with the release of The Matrix Reloaded, for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox video game system from Microsoft, the Nintendo GameCube and the personal computer. Enter The Matrix will be available in Japan on June 19.

We are thrilled by these early sell-through numbers, said Bruno Bonnell, Chairman and CEO of IESA and Atari. These initial sales results exemplify the power of the Wachowski Brothers vision for the franchise. With the exceptional box office results of The Matrix Reloaded and the explosive sales of Enter The Matrix, we are witnessing the true convergence of Hollywood and gaming. This is the beginning of our sales success as we expect continued strong returns for the duration of the year, based on the success of The Matrix Reloaded and the upcoming release of The Matrix Revolutions.

The Wachowski Brothers wanted to tell the epic story of the Matrix trilogy in multiple mediums, and Enter The Matrix is a key component in their visionary storytelling scheme, said Joel Silver, producer of the Matrix films. The record-breaking success of both The Matrix Reloaded and Enter The Matrix is a testament to the strength of the Wachowskis vision and game developer Shiny Entertainment's commitment to furthering their story in an incredibly innovative, visceral and exciting way.

Enter The Matrix is the No. 1 selling video game worldwide and claims a spot as one of the most explosive video game launches in history. Online and brick-and-mortar retailers have reported overwhelming sales statistics for the game, with Enter The Matrix outselling its closest competitors on PlayStation 2 by two-to-one and on Xbox by four-to-one.

Developed by award-winning Shiny Entertainment (an Atari studio), Enter The Matrix is a revolution in interactive entertainment a third-person action game that effectively blurs the line between Hollywood blockbuster films and next generation video games. The game is directed and features a script written by the Wachowski Brothers, writers/directors of The Matrix movie trilogy, creating the most intensive collaboration between a video game publisher and a movie studio to date. The game features the same over-the-top gunplay, mind-bending martial arts, and insane driving and stunts that made The Matrix famous.

Enter The Matrix includes approximately one hour of never-before-seen footage shot exclusively for the game using the actors, sets and crew from the blockbuster film, The Matrix Reloaded. In addition, the game features an hour of cineractives, directed by the Wachowskis and rendered within the game engine to help tell the epic story of Enter The Matrix.


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

RELOADED ACTION FIGURES
Source: <Kotobukiya>
Thanks to: <Matrixfans.net>

A Japanese site (Kotobukiya) displayed these amazing action figures from the Matrix Reloaded. No sign of release on Western shores though, and it's not known how they can be imported...

Check them out <here>.


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INTELLECT AND THE MATRIX MOVIES
Source: <Los Angeles Times>

Princeton scholar Cornel West, featured in both of the sequels, talks about the films' deeper meaning. Here's a clip:

At the core of the "Matrix" trilogy lies the disturbing notion that the world is nothing but perceptions controlled by malevolent forces. While the films repeatedly ask questions about the nature of truth and reality, the possibilities of choice and free will, the meaning of life and love, they offer no answers.

"They [the Wachowskis] want the audience to wrestle with it," West said.

In "The Matrix Reloaded," the citizens of Zion pin their hopes on computer hacker Neo (Keanu Reeves), who struggles with his role as their savior. West says the film has a "fascinating," if subtle, critique of "salvation narratives."

Themes in the sequel undercut those in the original, he said. "The first was all about Neo as a salvation figure, saving the globe. The second is a devastating critique of all salvation stories. It has political implications. It has religious implications."

The most fundamental parallel, however, between his work and the "Matrix" movies, West said, is found in the films' multiracial casting. In the city of Zion, most citizens are people of color and many of the movie's leading actors are black (Laurence Fishburne, Jada Pinkett Smith, Nona Gaye, Harry Lennix, Harold Perrineau Jr. and the late Gloria Foster.)

People of color outnumber whites in the world's population, he noted. "It's not just the representation in numbers but the humanity displayed," said West, whose writings urge cross-cultural tolerance and a recognition of the power of diversity. "The acknowledgment of the full-fledged and complex humanity of black people is a new idea in Hollywood, given all the stereotypes and distortions," he said.

Read the full article <here>.


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WACHOWSKI BROS. PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK
Source: <New York Post>

May 21, 2003 -- LARRY Wachowski wears long hoop earrings and seems to enjoy spending time with a busty dominatrix. His brother Andy spends hours discussing philosophy and quantum physics in coffee shops. But that's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the weird ways of the brothers Wachowski, the reclusive geniuses behind "The Matrix" movies.

After breaking box-office records, the sibs are as far from the spotlight as possible.

Andy, 35, has been described as a brawny, beer-drinking sci-fi fan while the more refined Larry, 37, prefers to discuss philosophy. And a report in the Mail on Sunday suggested he may be into bondage and donning heels and dresses. But they seem joined at the hip when it comes to their fascination with Japanese anime, comics and B-grade movies - and their horror of the spotlight.

Soon after moving to Hollywood, where they at first worked as housepainters and carpenters, they wrote a gory screenplay, "Carnivore," about cannibals who preyed on yuppies. It was too dark to attract investors. "The script was too disturbing," Andy told another newspaper in a rare 1999 interview. "We showed it to some people in Hollywood who said: 'This is a bad idea. I can't make this. I'm rich.'"

The brothers had to cut their 1996 lesbian thriller, "Bound," after test audiences walked out of a graphic sex scene and a violent sequence in which a character's finger was sliced off with pruning shears. "The fun is in bending and twisting convention," Andy said in the interview.

The fun, for them, is also avoiding the press. Since starting work on the first "Matrix" in 1999, the brothers have refused to do any publicity. They have a clause in their contract that they wouldn't be photographed or quoted in any promotional material for "The Matrix Reloaded" or the third installment of the trilogy, "The Matrix Revolutions," due Nov. 5.

"They love everything about moviemaking except one thing: the press," "Matrix" producer Joel Silver told USA Today. "They want their films to do the talking for them." That press paranoia seems to extend to others - family member Julie Wachowski, reached in Chicago, hung up yesterday on a Post reporter, shouting "We don't talk to the press."

Nor do they mingle much: On the set of "The Matrix Reloaded," crew were reportedly instructed not to talk to the brothers and to keep at least 20 feet away from them.

The secretive siblings grew up in Chicago and still have homes in the city's tony Andersonville neighborhood.

Read more <here>.


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RELOADED BREAKS BOX OFFICE RECORD
Source: <Box Office Mojo>

HOLLYWOOD (Box Office Mojo) - The prophecy came true. The Matrix Reloaded proved to be The One on its opening weekend.

The $150 million cyber-sequel downloaded a whopping $93.26 million at 3,603 theaters from Friday through Sunday, according to Warner Bros.' estimates. That's the second biggest opening weekend of all time behind Spider-Man's $114,844,116 and ahead of WB stablemate Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone's $90,294,621.

Unlike Spider-Man and Harry Potter, Reloaded managed its massive weekend despite easing the rabid consumer demand on Wednesday night and Thursday to the tune of $42,508,303, freeing the industry's mind over what a weekday and a 10 p.m. preview (estimated $5 million) could do with its record grosses.

Showing on a record 8,517 prints, Reloaded's tally stands at an estimated $135,768,000 through Sunday, and that breaks yet another record: biggest four-day gross, swinging past Spider-Man's $125,878,901. Attack of the Clones bowed on the same day and frame last year and pulled in $110,169,231 in its first four days.

Read more <here>.


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

REVOLUTIONS GLOBAL RELEASE HOUR
Source: <Screen Daily>

Producer Joel Silver is aiming for a global day, date and hour release for the third Matrix installment, Revolutions, on November 5.

"We’re still working it out logistically, but the audience is ready," he said – no matter what way it is structured, a simultaneous global release would see one territory holding its premiere at around 4am. Added Silver: "The story will end in the next movie."

At a packed press conference in the Palais attended by 15 Matrix Reloaded cast and crew from costume designer to sound editor – plus Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and a pregnant Carrie-Anne Moss – the film’s directors, the Wachowski brothers, were a no-show, "buried deep in editing Revolutions," according to Silver.

Read more at the source link.


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RELOADED GENERATES $42.5 MLN ON OPENING
Source: <Box Office Mojo>

HOLLYWOOD (Box Office Mojo) - Warner Bros. programmed the highest screen count ever for The Matrix Reloaded, and the box office reality lived up to the hype on opening day.

The hotly anticipated middle movie of the Wachowski Bros.' cyber-epic raked in an incredible $42,508,303 at 3,603 theaters on Thursday, storming past the $30,141,471 that Attack of the Clones posted on this same day last year as the biggest weekday gross ever. That raw number also stands as the highest opening day ever, ahead of Spider-Man's $39,406,872.

However, there's an asterisk next to that record as Reloaded's Wednesday night previews were folded into the Thursday gross. Subtract those and Reloaded's true Thursday would probably come in at a still phenomenal $38 million. Spidey's $43,622,264 Saturday still stands as biggest single day gross ever.

Read more <here>.


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CANNES PREMIERE PICTURES
Source: <IC Liverpool>
Thanks to: Julia

IC Liverpool has some nice images from the premiere at the Film Festival in Cannes.

Watch them <here>.


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

RELOADED EXPECTATION: $150 MLN IN 4 DAYS
Source: <LA Times>

Hollywood, obsessed with bragging rights, is bracing for some box-office records to crumble this week.

With audience polling red hot and an 8,400-plus screen release, Warner Bros.' "The Matrix Reloaded" is virtually certain to topple "Hannibal's" claim to the biggest opening of an R-rated film: a $58-million weekend in 2001.

Some industry observers think the science fiction action thriller is poised to grab as much as $150 million in ticket sales between a just-scheduled Wednesday night preview and Sunday, eclipsing the record $110.1 million collected by 20th Century Fox's PG-rated "Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones" over a similar Wednesday-Sunday period last May.

Any way you count it, the take looks likely to be large for "The Matrix Reloaded." Pent-up demand is so strong that Warner is preempting the picture's official Thursday opening with 10 p.m. Wednesday previews in at least 2,000 theaters. The studio expects some theaters to play the two-hour, 17-minute feature around-the-clock.

Executives at Warner and rival studios have been marveling at what they say is unsurpassed "tracking," the film industry's standard measure of audience prerelease interest in a picture. Studios routinely hire market researchers to handicap how well a film might perform; the researchers poll potential moviegoers to measure such things as their awareness of a movie, their interest in seeing it and whether it would be their first choice over an upcoming weekend.

The most recent such tracking poll on "The Matrix Reloaded," from National Research Group on May 8, found that of those polled, it was the first choice of 43 percent -- an astoundingly high percentage by industry norms.

Appetite for "The Matrix Reloaded" appears to eclipse even that for last summer's mega hit "Spider-Man," which posted a record opening weekend, with $114.8 million in ticket sales for Sony Pictures Entertainment.

"I've never seen such tracking in my life," said industry veteran Joe Roth, founder of Revolution Studios. "I've never seen interest like this across every single group -- where a 10-year-old boy is as interested in seeing this movie as a 54-year-old woman. There's absolutely no weakness."

Dan Fellman, Warner's distribution chief, declined to speculate about prospects for toppling the weekend mark set by "Spider-Man." "We're going to have the largest opening of an R-rated movie in motion picture history. I can't say where it's going from there," Fellman said.

Direct comparisons of "The Matrix Reloaded" and "Spider-Man" don't exactly apply, since the comic book hero movie opened on a Friday. That picture's four-day gross of $125.8 million -- including Monday -- marks the record for any comparable time frame.


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P.O.D. MUSIC VIDEO ONLINE
Source: <Intothematrixmusic>
Thanks to: Chris

P.O.D's video for "Sleeping Awake" is available at <Into the Matrix music>

It has the band in the Matrix playing in front of a mirror, on the other side is the band in the Real World.

On the same site, you can also listen to 10 tracks from the Matrix Reloaded Soundtrack (available in stores now) and read some information about the bands on the album.


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

HOLLYWOOD PREMIERE MATRIX RELOADED
Source: <This is London>
Thanks to: <MatrixFans.net>

It was hailed as the movie event of the year . . . the premiere of this summer's new blockbuster - The Matrix Reloaded - and the stars were out in force in Hollywood.

Hundreds of screaming fans queued around the block for a glimpse of the movie's stars Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne, Jada Pinkett Smith, Monica Bellucci and British twins Neil and Adrian Rayment - as well as premiere guests Demi Moore and Darryl Hannah.

Reloaded, which is expected to top the first film's $460 million (£306 million) box office take within weeks, features more special effects, more fight scenes and a first look at the human city of Zion - buried deep below the ground.

"It's great to be part of something with so much excitement around it," said Reeves, who plays messianic figure Neo. The actor, who was dressed in Matrix black for the premiere was greeted by cheers from female fans who had queued since the morning at Mann's Village Theatre in Westwood, Los Angeles. The traditional red carpet was black for the occasion. "This is crazy," said Reeves above the noise of the crowd. "It's always great to be at a premiere - especially in terms of a film which I love so much. It's like being a movie star."

Reeves, 39 , who spent seven weeks perfecting his major fight scene - before presenting each of the 12 stuntmen who helped him with a new Harley Davidson by way of thanks - said they had enabled him to make "one of the great movie fight scenes in the history of cinema".

"It's unstoppably watchable," said Fishburne, 41, who plays Morpheus. "You're all in for a real treat."

British twins Adrian and Neil Rayment - who play the Evil Twins - arrived in matching white suits and dark sunglasses. The pair posed for the crowd and pulled martial arts moves for the cameras. "This is the first time we've seen anything like this," said Neil. "We love being the bad guys. All the bad guys get the best stuff. Fast cars, neat clothes and great looking girls."

And almost before Matrix fans have had their fill of Reloaded, the final episode in the trilogy - Matrix Revolutions - will appear at cinema screens on 5 November.


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NINE CLIPS FROM RELOADED
Source: <CountingDown.com>

For those of you who can't wait until thursday (but I personally suggest you do): On CountingDown.com there are 9 clips from the finished movie.
Your webmaster didn't see them and neither should you of course, but hey, it's a free country.

Watch the videoclips <here>.


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OFFICIAL MATRIX SHOP!

It's finally here! The official Matrix shop where you can buy all kinds of posters, T-shirts, sunglasses, books and lots more! Say goodbye to auction sites and get your official Matrix gear by clicking on the image below!




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ANIMATRIX EPISODE 'BEYOND' ON MTV2
Source: MTV

The Animatrix episode 'Beyond' will be available to a wide audience on MTV2 from May 10:

MTV2: The Animatrix Revealed

Featuring higlights from:
- THE SECOND RENAISSANCE PT 1
- THE SECOND RENAISSANCE PT 2
- PROGRAM
- FINAL FLIGHT OF THE OSIRIS
- A DETECTIVE STORY

And the commercial-free World Premiere of
BEYOND

05/10/03 07:30 PM Saturday
05/10/03 01:00 AM Saturday
05/10/03 03:30 AM Saturday
05/11/03 02:30 AM Sunday
05/12/03 02:00 AM Monday
05/13/03 11:30 PM Tuesday
05/14/03 12:00 AM Wednesday
05/15/03 01:00 AM Thursday
05/16/03 04:30 AM Friday
05/18/03 02:30 AM Sunday
05/19/03 01:00 AM Monday
05/21/03 01:00 AM Wednesday
05/22/03 11:30 PM Thursday
05/26/03 08:00 PM Monday
05/29/03 01:00 AM Thursday
06/07/03 07:30 PM Saturday


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

HUGE RELOADED BANNERS
Thanks to: Turgay Gun

You thought the posters in your cinema were cool? Think again. Try sticking this huge banner on your bedroom wall:





Photos by Turgay Gun. For more click <here>



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

'DODGE THIS' ON SOUNDTRACK
Source: <Music 4 Games>

Founder of Jack's Hoose Music, composer and producer Ged Grimes, recently announced he produced a specially commissioned track for Enter The Matrix.

The track 'Dodge This' features in one of the game's climactic fight scenes and was specifically commissioned for the game at the request of videogames publisher, Atari Inc (previously known as Infogrames Inc).

Enter The Matrix is a unique new form of game, which forms an integral part of the overall Matrix storyline and blurs the distinction between the game and the movie. Developed under the creative direction of the Wachowski brothers, Enter The Matrix has been scripted by the Wachowski's who also oversaw the game design, supervised the fight sequences, approved the music and actually filmed new 35mm movie sequences for use within the game itself. The game promises that actions in the movie will have consequences in the game world and vice versa. In short, the game promises to be as revolutionary as the movie itself.

Read more <here>


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ENTER THE MATRIX: 4 MILLION COPIES
Source: <Yahoo Business News>
Thanks to: Turgay Gun

Atari Ships More Than 4 Million Copies of Enter the Matrix to Retail Outlets Worldwide

Tuesday May 6, 10:06 am ET
Landmark Game Generates Atari's Largest Initial Shipment Ever

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 6, 2003-- Game Available May 15, In Conjunction With Release Of The Matrix Reloaded
Atari announced today that worldwide retail orders for Enter the Matrix for the PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox(TM) video game system from Microsoft, the Nintendo GameCube(TM) and personal computer (PC) have surpassed 4 million copies. The game will be available worldwide on May 15, in conjunction with the release of the highly anticipated second installment of the Matrix film trilogy, The Matrix Reloaded.

"We are thrilled by the tremendous worldwide demand for what is going to be one of the most groundbreaking games our business has seen in years," said Bruno Bonnell, chairman and CEO, Infogrames. "Enter the Matrix is the biggest game we have ever shipped, and I'm happy to report that it does not disappoint. Matrix fans and video game players worldwide are poised to enjoy an entirely new entertainment experience with a complete meshing of Hollywood filmmaking and interactive entertainment."

Developed by award-winning Shiny Entertainment (an Infogrames studio), Enter The Matrix is a revolution in interactive entertainment - a third-person action game that effectively blurs the line between Hollywood blockbuster films and next generation video games. The game is directed by and features a script written by the Wachowski Brothers, creators of The Matrix trilogy, marking the most intensive collaboration between a video game publisher and a movie studio to date.

Enter the Matrix for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube and PC will be available at retail outlets worldwide on May 15, 2003 for an estimated retail price of $49.99 and an ESRB rating of 'T' for Teen. More information about Enter the Matrix is available at www.enterthematrixgame.com, in addition, to learn more about The Matrix Reloaded visit www.thematrix.com.


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BEHIND THE SCENES ON TECH LIVE
Source: <Tech Live>

An announcement from Tech Live:

Psyched about the release of "Matrix Reloaded"? TechTV has daily coverage and behind-the-scenes footage all week long on the new Matrix flick on our show Tech Live (http://www.techlive.com).

Today, see a preview of the new 'Reloaded' film. Also this week, see what went into the movie's special effects, a look at the making of the new "Enter the Matrix" videogame, and a special look at the "Animatrix" series. Look for added coverage and stories on our website, and special web-only video available for download.

Tech Live airs at 8 p.m. Eastern, and repeats at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 6 p.m. ET.

Finally, catch all the action on TechTV's special "Enter the Matrix", airing this weekend on Sunday at 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. Eastern.

Visit Tech Live <here>


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SECOND RENAISSANCE: MAY 6
Source: <TheMatrix.com>

More than a few people have asked when the next episode of THE ANIMATRIX, THE SECOND RENAISSANCE: PART TWO, will be available for official download. That would be Tuesday, May 6th, and will complete this two-part anime. It began in February with THE SECOND RENAISSANCE: PART ONE and now continues with further details on how the machines took control in the first place. Written by Larry and Andy Wachowski (BOUND, THE MATRIX). Directed By Mahiro Maeda (SUBMARINE 6).

For those that haven't seen THE SECOND RENAISSANCE: PART ONE, PROGRAM, or DETECTIVE STORY, check them out <here>.

Expect more magazine articles to hit newsstands about... now.

Watch THE SECOND RENAISSANCE: PART TWO Tuesday.

See the film, within weeks.


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

SOUNDTRACK INFO
Source: <Aint it cool news>
Thanks to: Turgay Gun

"Aint it cool" listened to the soundtrack, here's a clip:

1. Linkin Park “Session”:

A rather unusual “song” for linkin park, no vocals, no scratching, no happy-metal.
Sounds a little like someone has been listening to the Nine Inch Nails a lot lately, “Session” is some sort of electronic/industrial intro with piano-parts, reminds me quite a lot of the instrumental titles by Trent Reznor. Nothing special though.

2. Marilyn Manson “This Is The New Shit”:

In contrary to the song-title, this isn´t really new shit for Mr. Manson. (Why isn´t there any stuff by NIN anyway? Manson is the bastard-son of Trent Reznor, so the godfather of industrial should be on this soundtrack).
Anyway. As mentioned this is nothing new, but everyone who likes Manson should like this as well.
It starts with industrial drums and electronic sounds, rather slow, (Manson whispering) and leads toward the chorus, where the heavy guitars start to kick ass. (Manson screaming).
Personally I don´t like Manson that much, but I have to say that the song is ok.

3. Rob Zombie “Reload”

(Musically) No new shit again. For a couple of years Rob Zombie is doing the same sound all over again. The times, when White Zombie were kind of ground-breaking are over. “Reload” is an up-tempo mixture of guitars and electronics, Rob Zombie is screaming as usual. Rather boring, Manson has at least a good chorus.

4. Rob Dougan “Furious angels”

This is most likely gonna be in the film and it rather fits on the second cd, which is the score one.
I have no idea how this landed on the first disc, probably the producers ran out of space on Disc 2.
It´s a mid-tempo track, that somehow makes me think of end-titles and especially the “Blade Runner” ones. A nice beat with strings leading the way. After the “M: Reloaded”-hellride (which is most likely expecting us in the cinemas) this sounds like the track, when you just lean back for a couple of minutes to watch the end-titles and just have to think a little about what you just saw. Calming down, but also knowing there is much more to come.)

Read more <here>. There are some little spoilers in it though.


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NYC RESEMBLES THE MATRIX
Source: <AlterNet>
Thanks to: <MatrixFans.net>

Living in NYC sometimes looks like the Matrix:

I was in a restaurant in New York the other day and the waitress said, "We can't catch a break: the war, the economy ... the weather."

New Yorkers are usually a little tougher than this but the city has lost 200,000 jobs in the past two years. And snow in April? Damn.

There is one bright spot on the horizon. Everywhere I go, people are counting the days 'til the new Matrix comes out. The first movie was a surprise hit. But Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions, scheduled for May and November releases respectively, are already cult phenomena.

They're also all too real.

Every morning I walk past a scene straight out of The Matrix. Remember those cops, the ones on the roof, with the helicopter? Full riot gear, dorky helmet ... yeah, them. They're on Wall Street just off of Broadway, guarding the New York Stock Exchange. Every morning I walk down Wall Street to work, I expect Keanu and Carrie-Ann to jump out in their nouveau bondage gear, tha-thwacking the riot cops on the head and using up a zillion rounds of ammo.

But these cops are the good guys, not the bad guys. I think. Seeing men with enormous guns rarely makes me feel safe. I guess they'll protect the brokers from the random crazy with a Saturday Night Special, but from an attacker with anthrax or a hijacked plane – nah. Meanwhile, it makes me profoundly aware that I'm living in a war zone. I don't know if I'm an observer, hostage, or combatant.

Read the rest <here>


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WATCH RELOADED IN NYC
Source: <First Movies>

For all UK visitors of Matrixfansite.com:

FirstMovies is offering you a chance to see 'The Matrix Reloaded' a week before it opens in the UK. Plus, you get a weekend in The Big Apple on us.
We've got tickets for two -- including airfare, hotel and £200 spending money -- for a weekend in New York to see the new Matrix movie. All you have to do to win is answer the simple question [on the site].

In this second chapter of the Matrix trilogy, freedom fighters Neo (Reeves), Trinity (Moss) and Morpheus (Fishburne) continue to lead the revolt against the Machine Army, unleashing their arsenal of extraordinary skills and weaponry against the systematic forces of repression and exploitation. In their quest to save the human race from extinction, they gain greater insight into the construct of The Matrix and Neo's pivotal role in the fate of mankind.

'The Matrix Reloaded' opens in the UK on May 15th.

Enter the contest at the source link.


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CARTOON PUNCHLINE
Source: <Sev>

Hi, cartoonist John Cook here with news about an online Matrix caption contest your readers might be interested in:

For the next week, I'm running a cartoon caption contest on my website sev.com.au. The cartoon features caricatures of Neo getting 'spammed' by a crowd of copied agents. The reader gets to write Neo's response. The entries are rated by readers with the funniest punchline voted on in a week's time. The contest ends Wed 7 May so come check it out.



Add your punchline <here>


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